Monster Girl Quest: Shadow of Undeath
by The Inexplicable Presence
Summary: Vaskul, an ancient demilich, searches for the long lost Emperor of Hell to learn the Secret of Evolution so that he may become God. Along the way, he finds the newly formed world of MGQ, and finds himself setting in motion a chain of events that he quickly finds to be out of his control. Can Vaskul find the Emperor? Or will the war between Alice XVI and Ilias stop him?
1. Prologue

**_DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything. Especially not D &D._**

Now, I know it says Dungeons and Dragons/Monster Girl Quest Crossover, but this story uses elements and characters from the Dragon Quest Series (Mostly IV-VI) as well. Also that DQ magic is different from D&D Magic... Just saying that to prevent confusion.

* * *

 _*Inside an Ancient Crypt*_

...

Vaskul mulled over his findings. Ever since the Abyss and The Nine Circles of Hell had gone to war over the deaths of their supreme or major leaders Asmodeus and Demogorgon, he had found his attempts at tracking the Emperor to be most... Frustrating. Almost nothing had any sort of hint or reference to the Ancient Demon at all, and the other users of the Secret were long since dead or forgotten. If he still had his hand, he'd be repeatedly slamming it into the nearest object. Of course, that was hard to do when you were a Demilich who choose to be a skull, so Vaskul settled for grinding on his soul gems.

 _"I must say... Estark is proving to be very annoying to track,"_ Vaskul hissed to himself through his teeth gems. He had long since ran out of undead grunts to talk to, or more accurately, vent his anger on. But like many others of his kind, Vaskul had no reason to animate a servant anymore. Besides, ever since he made that Helmed Horror to defend the Crypt whenever he was away, a dead body had become more useful for being a showcase and displaying some artifacts Vaskul had gathered over the years, like the Armlet of Transmutation, Orcus' Sword, or Lolth's Staff. Silly Gods, they always seemed to misplace their artifacts at the most convenient times. Vecna would be proud of him. But that did not change his situation, good as the Artifacts may be.

He hated his predicament. He hated it with every ounce of his immortal Phylactery and Soul Gems. Of course the very last thing he truly desired was beyond his grasp. Of course the Demons and the Devils would go to war in the middle of his searching. Of course not a single soul in all of Faerun knew where Estark could be, nor the Secret of Evolution Vaskul so dearly desired.

But perhaps... Vaskul did travel all over the Multiverse to find the Secret, and there were strange things drifting beyond where the Elder Evils made their home, strange things in the dark depths of the Void. He was fascinated by these strange worlds, they were like Faerun, but different in certain ways. Sometimes Vaskul felt as if he was gazing into a world that rejected every law or fundamental grounds Vaskul had discovered and learned during his ventures as an Astral Demilich. Sometimes the local life he saw were robotic in shape, with handles on their heads. Sometimes the main breed of dragon was more wyvern-like, yet had godly blood within them. Sometimes he saw things that were absolutely horrific, but were kept under lock and chain. There was even a world made by a sleeping overdeity, filled with horrific nightmares and eldritch beings who did whatever they pleased within that world, Azathoth if he recalled correctly. It, along with Ao, were the only Overdeities he ever learned of or met.

So, was it possible Estark was not in this world, but in one of the ones Vaskul looked at? It seemed to be quite logical and rational in theory. If the Emperor wasn't here, then he must be somewhere else. It's been confirmed several times by the few scrolls and books Vaskul found that Estark will just simply not die no matter what. It didn't matter what kind of punishment or brutality was inflicted upon him, Estark will come back eventually, usually in a sleeping state.

So, with that in skull, Vaskul silently recasted _Astral Projection_ and ventured off to see if his theory held true.

* * *

 _...*Some time after that realization*..._

 _..._

It was quite a long time before Vaskul managed to find something in the eternal expanses of darkness. It... was a Light Elemental. That wasn't right. What was a Light Elemental doing all the way out here?

 _"Hello?"_ Vaskul came up to the glowing sphere of light while casting _Tongues_ on himself. _"Who are you, and why are you so far away from your natural plane?"_

The Elemental spoke incoherently, seemingly unable to know how to talk.

 _"Do you have a name, Light Element?"_ Vaskul questioned.

 _"Fwight?"_ Was one word Vaskul could hear.

 _"Do you mean Light?"_ Vaskul tilted his astral projection a bit. Was this Elemental just newly formed? Or has it been stranded out here so long it devolved into a baby-like state of mind? He couldn't tell, but either way it was, mentally speaking, extremely immature.

 _"Ill-Ighty?"_ The Element tried to pronounce "Light" again.

 _"Do you even have a name? Say yes or no, if you can,"_ Vaskul said.

 _"Fwo,"_ The Element answered.

 _"Going to take that as a 'no,'"_ Vaskul and the Element continued their conversation for awhile, and after a certain point Vaskul saw it was a bit pointless to continue talking to the elemental, so he just started to go when he heard the Element drift behind him... _"Why are you following me?"_

 _"Pwerson. Feuo are a pwerson,"_ The Element answered.

Vaskul was, for the first time in ages even he lost track of, confused, _"You're following me because... Wait, how did you even learn about the word 'person?'"_ Vaskul was beginning to be fascinated by this Element. First it was completely unable to talk, now it can begin to learn words it never heard of and speak simple sentences? Was this really just some average Elemental or was it something a bit more? It certainly had enough power to be a Primal Elemental, just a large lack of brains... or anything else for that matter.

 _"Bwain. I wead through your maim,"_ The Element paused, seemingly thinking about something, _"Mind," _The Element promptly corrected.

 _"You're learning through my-!..."_ Vaskul stopped and hastily looked through his mind to see if the Element was looking through it. Thankfully, however, the Element was not looking through memories or other deadly secrets Vaskul was concerned for, and was merely looking through reflexes and literary languages. But that did not answer the question of how the Element got into Vaskul's mind without alerting him or activating his defense spells to begin with.

 _"How? How did you do that?"_ Vaskul asked. After all, the Element was just a baby. Surely he could convince it to tell him without difficulties?

 _"I don't know. It comes to me,"_ The Element said, now speaking without that babyish-voice and being completely literate.

 _"... Do you have a name?"_ Vaskul decided to put off the search for Estark for now, and in the meantime devote his attention to this curious elemental.

 _I've never met an Element that could do that, not without alerting me. Perhaps this could make for a useful servant..._ he thought, forming plans on how he could manipulate this being...

 _"Um... No. I don't have a name. What is a name?"_ The Element shyly questioned, _"Do you have one?"_

 _Already it's developed a personality and speaks fluently from just a few minutes of looking through the lower functions of my brain... Now, if I can use that unnatural mind reading and learning capability to further my goals and wrench from a Zenithian Ghost the location of Estark..._ Vaskul began to realize more and more just how much potential this Element had, and what he could get out of it if he did put that potential to use.

 _"A name is something used to identify a person, something to remember a particular being if you will. My name is Vaskul._ _And since you don't have a name... I suppose I can give you one,"_ Vaskul thought of what would be a fitting name for an element. He thought back to the first parts of their conversation... "Ill-Ighty." That could work as a name, it just needed something... Different.

 _"How do you like... Ilias?"_ Vaskul offered.

In response, the newly named Ilias seemed to bubble in joy. It seemed to really like the name, despite how lame its origin was. Satisfied, Vaskul looked around to see if there were any worlds nearby, and silently cursed himself. There was a nearby world forming with an unusually overwhelming amount of dark energies and magical auras, but it was too far for even his mastered _Astral Projection_ to reach. As much as he hated it, it looked like he needed to take on a physical form to explore any further. But, oh well, he didn't want to risk his Phylactery getting shattered while he was away anyways.

 _"Good, good. Well now, I must be going! I'll be back soon enough..."_ Vaskul turned to leave the element, but he was stopped again.

 _"Wait! Where are you going?..."_ Ilias questioned, now having a distinctly feminine tone to her voice now.

 _"Me? Oh, I'm simply going back to Faerun to rest and think on some of the discoveries I made before,"_ Vaskul simply stated.

 _"But what about me? Can I go too?"_ Ilias asked, apparantly sad at Vaskul leaving.

 _"Ah, if only. The path to my world is long and dangerous. There are beings that inhabit the border between the Void and Faerun, and they would do horrific things that I would not say to you for the rest of eternity if you were lucky. Perhaps one day I will return in a physical form, and then I can take you with me,"_ Vaskul told her. The bright glow that surrounded the ball of light dimmed, but she seemed to understand.

 _"Do you... Pro- Prob... No... Prom-Ise?"_ Ilias tried to pronounce "Promise." It looks like she hasn't fully mastered the more complex words yet.

 _"Yes. I promise to return here one day. For now though, just head off in that direction."_ Vaskul turned to a particular direction, _"There's some other life there, and with any luck it won't drift off. I'll be there to help you in the future."_

 _"Oh... Okay..."_ Ilias began to move towards that direction. _"I hope to see you again soon one day!"_ She said as she slowly became nothing but a small candlelight in the distance.

 _"What a strange elemental. But I'm sure she'll be fine. What could **possibly**_ _be there?"_ Vaskul reasoned to himself.

* * *

 _*Thousands of Thousands of Years after that*_

 _..._

Vaskul finally sighed in relief as he returned to his skull. It seemed nothing had been touched when he was gone, just more dust covering the crypt. _"Finally. Didn't take that long to get back. Now... Why did I come here again?"_ Vaskul idly wondered as he mulled over his findings, _"Oh right. I needed to make a new body for exploration."_ Well, that wasn't really difficult. There were countless bodies and skeletons to choose from due to the countless dead paladins who apparently never learned how to check for magical and physical traps.

Using his telekinesis, Vaskul levitated several nearby skeletons of a medium size and ripped various bones out to make a stable body. When the basic skeleton was complete, Vaskul raised his skull and had his phylactery placed inside of it, like a brain, and then gently placed it on the Atlas of the newly made skeleton. [1]

Looking at himself, Vaskul tested and stretched various parts of his skeleton to test for which parts needed new cartilage. _"Good enough. Now to disguise myself so that no one will randomly attack me..."_ Vaskul created some skin out of the few cells left on the bones and slowly watched as his body was covered in it, his skull included. Then he promptly grabbed a robe that looked as if it had once been a grand and royal outfit, and clothed himself with it.

He motioned for a mirror to come to him so that he could look at his handiwork. Wiping the dust off, he saw he had black hair with somewhat leathery pale skin that was eerily stretched across his body. His robes obviously gave away his necromantic origins, with it being covered in what used to be fine linens, faded velvet, ivoric armor and dusty jewels, with a long black cloak to add. About the only thing that could really give him away as a demilich though, was the fact that he could see his own soul gems shining in the place of his teeth and eyes.

 _Nothing a good Illusion can't fix,_ Vaskul casted _Alter Self_ and watched as his eyes were replaced with scarlet eyes and his teeth become a normal white. _Transmutation... An integral part to the Secret of Evolution. It was a good thing I overcame my weakness in that school of magic a long time ago,_ He thought as he picked up his old spellbook and the Armlet of Transmutation, two things he truly valued. The Spellbook because he spent so many years filling it up and writing notes on it, and the Armlet because he required it to fully complete the Secret of Evolution.

Satisfied, Vaskul walked off to where his Helmed Horror was, and saw that it simply standing around, surrounded by countless corpses. Some were fresh, some were small bones and dust.

 _"Hold. Cease previous command. Give me your sword,"_ He commanded, the Helmed Horror immediately obliging him, _"Hm... Magical Runes seem to be alright. Sword is in prime condition, with only bloodstains. And there seems to be no broomstick **again** ,"_ Vaskul sighed. Helmed Horrors were good for defense and making dead bodies, but they were horrible for cleaning and repairs. He really should've made another servant for cleaning by now, but he didn't because he was too busy projecting his mind elsewhere to do so.

Waving his hand, Vaskul magically removed the bloodstains from the Horror's sword and armor, Vaskul then created a simple broomstick, though the rod of the broom was made of steel rather than normal wood. Helmed Horrors also did not know how to hold back from what experience has taught him.

 _"New Orders. You are to patrol, defend, and clean this entire Crypt up. And polish and maintain your armor and weapons as well. Do I make myself clear?"_ Vaskul commanded. The Helmed Horror nodded and began to haul various bodies to the morgue section of the Crypt. Hopefully this time it won't break the broom like the last ten times Vaskul went out to explore...

 _Now to get back to where I was,_ Vaskul thought as he began his trek back to where he previously was in the void before he was forced to return.

* * *

 _*Unknown Amount of Time Later*_

 _..._

 _"Where are you... Where are you..."_ Vaskul muttered as he travelled throughout the void. He recalled a conversation he had with a Light Elemental nearby, and that he directed her towards a newly formed world so that he could track down that world later on, _"I know you were here... Ah! Found it."_

He looked upon the world he guided that element to. He saw so many unnatural things populated it now, and he didn't like it one bit. It was as if whoever ruled over this pathetic realm purposefully perverted everything he knew. He could see a large landmass with two smaller ones bordering its north and south sides, and a large amount of primitive humans lived mostly on the southern and the central landmasses. With those humans, Vaskul could see strange monsters. Female monsters. Perverted ones at that. With absolutely no male monsters in sight. He did not need to scry the world out any further to know what the obvious result was, but he decided to anyways against his better judgement.

He saw plenty of male humans and some females, presumably captured villagers or adventurers, being raped by the female monsters. Some were kept as slaves. Some were sold. Some were eaten. Some were just killed.

Vaskul already began to despise this world. It wasn't like Faerun, where Beholders, Mind Flayers, and Aboleths were the feared monsters he had grown to respect and work with. It was not like the Goblins or Kobolds, who were cowardly primitives that were so-easily manipulated and fun to puppet and keep as pets. It was not like the Drow or Sentient Undead, who were cruel and vicious, feared and hailed like he was.

Their magic was not the same either. It seemed that former rich magical atmosphere was gone now. Vaskul guessed that either the monsters or that Light Element had absorbed most of it for themselves. He could sense there were around 9 large sealed powers and 5 great powers scattered over the world due to that atmosphere being gone now though.

Vaskul, deciding to get a closer look at a particular area, peered at what he guessed to be an important castle of sorts in the Northern Continent. There was a small girl with light-purple skin and dark priestly clothing working with a pale woman dressed almost like a scientist. They seemed to be working on a Royal Harpy of sorts. Vaskul almost wanted to puke at how... _inadequate_ the soul-binding and work was put into the corpse. They were doing it all wrong! They could not afford to put so much pressure on the harpy's hollow bones, and the exposed bones should either be covered with patch-work flesh or sharpened to be like that of a sword or spike. And where was the magic stone? They needed that to even consider raising the corpse right? So where was it? The necromancy and magic in this world... Was astoundingly back-watered and primitive. It was almost insulting in a sense.

Vaskul looked elsewhere in that castle. There was a small nine-tailed fox girl talking with a large lamia of sorts. Perhaps a subspecies? The Lamia radiated with power, and seemed to be experienced enough. The kitsune however, far eclipsed her, but, she was extraordinarily weak for a nine-tailed Kitsune.

Vaskul knew that fox-girl was hiding something. He knew that usually Kitsunes grew stronger the more tails they had. Though, a weak nine-tailed kitsune could provide a good source of their fur. Vaskul had heard that a Nine-Tailed Kitsune's fur was very potent in magic spells and potions.

And, at the last second, Vaskul noticed a brief glimpse of _something_... he knew that power. He felt its trace and marks before. He had spent a large amount of time looking for it after all. It was Estark. The Emperor must've somehow landed in this world while drifting in the void. It made sense in context, after all, Vaskul found many worlds that referenced the demon in some shape or form. But, why here? Why in this world?

Vaskul scryed the world out a bit more. He found many things, and was disturbed by them. He hated this world. It was like a perversion of his own. But he had to go there if he wanted the Secret of Evolution. Even if... The inhabitants were...

...

Disgusting.

* * *

 _*Sentora - Gold Volcano; 24 years before the events of Monster Girl Quest*_

 _..._

 _"Let's see here... Oh of course I wind up in the sole volcanic region out of all the places I could've been teleported to!"_ Vaskul cursed as he observed his surroundings. It seemed he was at or at least near the peak of the volcanic region. There wasn't any life in the nearby area, and if there was, they would probably be hostile. Near his position was an opening, probably used by local monsters or explorers to access the inside of this volcano, _"If this is anything like Faerun, then fire elementals and salamanders should be flooding the insides corridors_ _of the volcano. Maybe a dragon or two if they exist in this realm,"_ Vaskul wisely decided to not enter the volcano and instead climb down the rocky mountain.

The climb was for the most part uneventful, until he reached about halfway down the mountain, where he found an unusual lump of scales and flesh resting on the ground.

 _Oh God damn it..._ Vaskul cursed mentally as the lump slowly stirred and turned towards him. It was a green dragon without any wings. _How curious, a Dragon with no wings? I could just fly away... But dragons can use magic as well... Probably best to just kill it._

The dragon actually seemed to be fairly normal compared to the other monsters he scryed out. There wasn't a single thing that could suggest this dragon was different from the dragons of Faerun other than its lack of wings.

 _Huh. I guess I was wrong about there being only female Mons-..._ Vaskul's line of thought was interrupted by the dragon opening its mouth, revealing a woman with serpentine traits fused to the dragon's tongue. _God damn it,_ was all he thought then.

"Oh... A human? How rare. I haven't seen one in decades. You'll make an excellent treat for me and my daughter..." The Dragoness said lasciviously, her tone clearly stating that she was going to try and rape Vaskul.

 _Too bad for her my real body rotted and decomposed into dirt long ago. Still, I should probably test myself to see how well I will fare in this realm before going on my way,_ Vaskul thought. He rolled his eyes and began to chant _Magic Missile_ to test the dragon's durability.

"A wizard!?" The dragon flinched at the magic surrounding Vaskul, but then reasserted herself. "My, not only a human, but a magician as well. You'll make for a wonderful slave..." She raised the claws of her main body and prepared to battle.

Vaskul casted the _Magic Missile_ and gave a simple sigh as it harmlessly vaporized itself against the scales of the dragon. _"It would appear 1st tier magic does not work on the dragons of this world. I suspected this world would not be as weak as it appeared,_ _"_ He noted, preparing **Kacrackle**.

"My, my, your voice seems so raspy and tired... Let me relieve you of whatever your burden may be," The Dragon said as she lunged at Vaskul. Vaskul quickly dodged the attempt to grab him and casted **Kacrackle** , pelting and impaling the dragon with massive icicles. "Ow!... How?... How can a human use magic that strong!?" She almost demanded as she breathed fire on herself to combat the frostbite and the few icicles that remained impaled in her body.

 _"I gave up on my humanity a long time ago,"_ Vaskul answered as he casted _Spectral Hand_ and _Chilling Touch_ in conjunction. The resulting ghostly hand grabbed the Dragon's Secondary throat, and strangled her while the frostbite slowly spread, _"Too bad that you have that second body underneath all of that scales and muscle. I wouldn't be able to kill you so easily if the only throat I could grab was covered by 20 tons of muscle and scales,"_ Vaskul mocked as the dragon began to wildly kick around and spasm to escape the hand.

"Who... What are you?" The Dragon gasped as she clawed at her throat, even though the hand had vanished. The frostbite probably ruined her ability to breath properly by the time the actual spell faded.

 _"Death,"_ Vaskul smiled as he willed his facial disguise to burn away to reveal his jeweled skull. _"I do not know why you have a... Woman stuck to your tongue, but it would seem that all the vital organs are inside of that body rather than being logically distributed through the large armored dragon body. But it matters not. I am sure your corpse will provide an excellent source of scales, and perhaps the woman's skin will make for a wondrous rug..."_ Vaskul laughed as he approached the dragon. Then the dragon let go of her throat, and Vaskul saw there was no frostbite.

"Gotcha!" The Dragon smiled from cheek to cheek at Vaskul's confused expression before she quickly snatched him up inside of her primary mouth. Vaskul struggled and lashed about, but was quickly trapped underneath the dragon's large tongue. The Dragon giggled and stuck out the woman's tongue at Vaskul's futile attempts to escape, "It's no use. Only those with the power of the Earth can escape a dragon's grasp..." She stroked Vaskul's shoulder, "And though you may be unnaturally strong in magic, and have that impressive illusion of a skull going for you, I sincerely doubt you have the strength to escape me now," Her eyes gleamed, "Now rest, magician... Let me take care of you for the rest of your life."

Panicking, Vaskul silently casted _Finger of Death_ and jabbed his finger randomly at the woman. He felt something squishy and somewhat spherical give away under the pressure and some sort of liquid flood out.

The Dragon screamed and threw Vaskul out. Now getting a clear view, Vaskul could see he managed to successfully destroy the Dragon's right eye and the flooding sensation he felt was the blood and eye-juices pouring out. The Dragon screamed and stamped around in pain until finally, she collapsed from _Finger of Death_ finally taking effect.

 _"Hm hm hm hmm... You should've just killed me when you had the chance,"_ Vaskul taunted, now keeping a safe distance well away from the dragon. He knew not to make the same mistake twice in a row.

"No... My child..." The dragon twitched and spasmed, and then her eyes rolled up and she took her last breath.

Vaskul smirked and walked up to the corpse to begin skinning it for scales, _That went relatively well. Even if that dragon had a bigger and more cunning mind than I initially expected. I will have to be more careful in the future... And I will have to look into why Finger of Death did not kill her immediately. Perhaps the Monsters of this world are naturally resistant to magic?_ He mused as he reviewed the results of his battle. When he finished, he noticed the cries of a child... _"A... Baby?"_

Vaskul followed the cries to a hidden spot in the rocks nearby, and saw a roundish object wrapped in cloth. He unravelled it to see a what he almost assumed to be a large berry, _"A dragonkin... Why did I assume it was a berry?"_ Vaskul looked around, hoping to see something that he could do to get rid of it before its cries could lure more monsters to him. Eventually, Vaskul saw a dark place within the rocks that led to a long drop into the volcano, _"Heh, I'm afraid I won't have to deal with you!"_ He said as he promptly dropped the child into the pit. He waited, and heard a loud thump, and then he didn't hear the child anymore. _"Good, now to get out of_ _here!"_ Vaskul remarked as he casted _Levitate_ on himself and flew off to the nearest civilization.

 _... Wait, why didn't I just cast Levitate in the first place instead of trying to climb down this damn volcano!? _he silently thought, cursing and scolding himself for his own stupidity.

* * *

 _*In the Heart of Gold Volcano*_

 _..._

"Mmrph... Who's crying outside in the middle of my rest?" Salamander groaned as she heard the distant cries of a child. She tried to ignore it, but it would not stop. "... Fiiiinnne. I'll see who it is..." She got off her resting place and began to stretch as she walked towards the source of the noise, only to find that nearby her domain was a small red-haired baby wrapped up in a cloth, with a large wound on the back of her head. Widening her eyes in shock, Salamander ran to the baby, still bawling, and healed the injury before it died from bleeding out. It was a miracle the child did not die instantly when she fell!

"Who would throw and abandon an innocent youth here to die?..." Salamander cursed whoever could've despicable enough to just throw a _child_ to their death. The youth slowly stopped crying and looked up at Salamander, curious. Salamander sighed, "Looks like you're stuck with me little one," she supposed she could raise this Dragonkin. She did have some experience dealing with dragons before, and she could do it again. "But what should I call you...?"

The child mouthed "Bweery?", mimicking Vaskul's word earlier.

"Berry?... Well I suppose you did look like one from a distance, and you are a bit bigger than the average baby... Then again, Dragons are a 'Grand' species... Hm... How about Granberia?" Salamander suggested.

"Gwanberia! Gwanberia!" Granberia mimicked in joy and smiled innocently.

Salamander just smiled from the cuteness of her new daughter.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, I did say I was going to do a D&D crossover, and I did. Anyways, here we see an ancient demilich, Vaskul, leave the multiverse of D&D and explore the void to find the Emperor of Hell, Estark. He's basically on the same mission Psaro and Aamon was in DQIV, and wants to resurrect Estark so he can figure out how to make the Secret of Evolution. He's already got the Armlet of Transmutation needed to do this, and he knows that Nimzo/Mildrath has taken it and became god-like in powers, though malformed and imperfect due to his failure to use the Armlet. Vaskul does not know about the other users of the Evolution, he only knows from vague legends and stories that Aamon, Psaro, and Mildrath took the Secret and became nigh-invincible.

Unfortunately, in his quest to find Estark, he encounters a primordial Ilias, who he accidently gives the blessing (Curse) of sentience to. When he inevitably returns in his physical form, he finds that same world he sent Ilias off to and encounters a young Granberia and her mother, and as we saw, sparked off the chain of events that would lead to Granberia becoming a Heavenly Knight.

The next time we see Vaskul, we'll be seeing how he adjusts to the world of MGQ and what his plan is...

So, I'll see you guys later! Don't forget to review!

* * *

Some Notes (This is something you should probably read at if you're confused by someone's name or why there's a [#] next to a sentence.) -

[1]: The Atlas is where the skull and spine connect.

\- Dragon Quest Spells are in **Bold** while D&D Spells are in _Italics_.

\- While relatively minor, Psaro, Nimzo, Mortamor, Nokturnus, and Zoma all have a part in Vaskul's past, and Estark is obviously the main objective in Vaskul's venture. Since most of them have various names depending on the system or translation you play their respective game on, I figured I would just get them out of the way now in case they make an appearance or mention.

Estark: For those wondering, Estark was originally blue in his first appearance in IV, and since then he has been changed to golden-brown whenever he appeared as a superboss (Probably because Psaro is in pre-evolution only or in his final form, or is just not there.) So, let's just keep it simple and say Estark is only blue when he's weakened or asleep, and becomes golden-brown when he's wide awake. As for his other name, 'Esturk', well, let's just chalk it off as an archaic term. In this story, Estark does not have a son (Starkers). His title is the 'Emperor of Hell'.

Psaro: Relatively simple. It's Psaro for his pre-evolution body, Deathsaro for his Estark-like form, and Necrosaro for when he begins to transform into his final stage. His title is 'The Manslayer'.

Nimzo/Mildrath: Grandmaster Nimzo is the first Namekian-like form (This name is often used by mortals and angels who do not know of his true name), Lord Mildrath is the fat slug-like devil form (This name is used by devils/demons and people who know his true nature). He takes the role as the Satan of the Dragon Quest Multiverse. His title is either 'Grandmaster' or 'Satan'.

Mortamor: The Old Man he possesses at first would be called Mortamoore, his true pink and spiky gargoyle form is Deathtamor, and his final form (When he throws away his own physical body) is called Mortamor. His title is the 'Archfiend'.

Nokturnus: His true name is Nokturnus, his title is simply 'Dark Dream', with its archaic term being 'Dark Drium'.

Zoma: The Source of All Evil (Predating Asmodeus, Demogorgon, Zargon, and others), he is known as the 'Master Archfiend'. I don't think he has another name. Correct me if there was a release where Zoma's name was changed. Archfiend Baramos is dead by the time this story happens, so don't count on him appearing if Zoma happens to make an appearance or cameo.

EDIT: As of 2/13/18, I reworked most of the fanfic. Most characters just went with one consistent name from here on out, and I've rewritten some of the characters.


	2. Patience

_"Gold Port? Rather uncreative name for a port city..."_ Vaskul murmured to himself as he came across a sign pointing to the direction of said city, _"I sincerely hope it's a human town and not of those monster wannabes' villages..."_ Earlier on in the day Vaskul had came across two towns, one named Lady's Village and one called Succubus Village. Suffice to say, Lady's Village did not take kindly to him, even though he had his disguise on, and the reason why he did not go to Succubus Village was just plain obvious. _"I need to buy a map. And preferably find out which place has the least amount of monsters in the process. Hopefully I won't get into a minor spat with another supposed noble or lord like Cassandra, last thing I need is the authorities wanting my skull on a pike."_

* * *

...

Having arrived rather easily to Gold Port, Vaskul looked around to try and find some merchants or anyone who would know something important about the world he was now in. He soon spotted and picked out a purple-haired man with three others of varying types. Most likely adventurers or "Heroes." Vaskul cleared his throat and politely got the man's attention.

"Yes?" The man said.

 _"Ah,_ Pardon me, but I'm rather new to these parts. I'm an adventurer, and my ship was unfortunately destroyed when I went exploring and now I am stuck on this new land. Would you be kind enough as to inform me of my new whereabouts or at least give me a map?" Vaskul intially started out in his normal voice, but quickly changed it to what anyone might expect out of a wizard.

"A Wizard eh? Good to see that I'm not the only one!" The Purple-haired man's Wizard friend chuckled with amusement. "Hope you aren't too bad a person!"

"Merlin, there's no need to tease him, he might take it the wrong way!" The Priest amongst them, as well as the only woman, lectured the Wizard.

"Of course Karen, of course," Merlin smiled knowingly, "Marcellus, we had that spare map right? Why don't we be charitable and give it to a fellow adventurer and Hero?"

"Well I do think we had one spare... Erm, Lazarus, do you have it in your pack?" Marcellus questioned the other warrior in the party.

"Um... Yeah, I do. Here's the spare," Lazarus pulled out the map in his bag and gave it to Vaskul.

"Ah! Thank you very much!" Vaskul gave a false smile, "I will certainly remember this... Thank you Heroes!" He waved goodbye as he moved away.

"Ilias be you, my fellow wizard!" Merlin laughed alongside his friends as they bid him farewell.

Once Vaskul was a safe distance away, he smirked.

 _I_ _diots. But why did they say Ilias be with you? Ilias is just a primal Light element. There's nothing that good about her... And since when people find out about Ilias' Name? It hasn't been THAT long since I named her... I think. Just how much time has passed here since I sent her to this world?_ Vaskul idly thought as he read the map.

"Let's see... I'm at Gold Port in the Gold Region of Sentora, the central mass of this world. The North Continent is called Hellgondo, and the Monster Lord, whatever that's supposed to mean, lives there. The South Continent is called..." Vaskul blinked in surprise. "Ilias? It's also apparently has the least amount of monsters and is one of the centers of her 'faith' along with San Ilia, while Hellgondo and the northern parts of Sentora has the more noble and powerful monsters. Seems like Ilias inherited a distate for whores and mockeries from me... Good for her. Such a habit can and will get her far in Faerun."

Vaskul sighed. It would a _long_ journey to get to Ilias Continent, and even then he wasn't guaranteed quiet and silence from interlopers and rapists while he figured out what the hell is going on... Although he _could_ pay a visit to the "Monster Lord." Surely he could gain something from there, and if he was right when he scryed the world earlier, that place is also where those two necromancers lived...

 _Might as well go there while I'm close to it._ Vaskul reasoned as he recasted _Levitate_ and flew there, much to the surrounding populance's shock.

* * *

 _*At The Monster Lord's Castle_ _; In the middle of the Night*_

 _..._

Vaskul surveyed the Castle before him. It was rather grand and wonderous, and was hardly the malevolent, trap-filled labyrinth that so many beings such as Psaro, Zoma, and the deceased Baramos Gonus had made or took over.

 _It's nice. But it's nowhere near as good as Charlock Castle._ Vaskul reminisced on his previous explorations. He shuddered upon remembering the state of Alefgard when it was under Zoma's reign... _I am so happy Zoma couldn't interact with Astral Projections._ He thought as he casted _Invisibility_ on himself and causally flew in one of the castle's open windows.

...

Alipheese Fateburn the XVI was just getting to sleep when she felt a strange breeze come in through her window. Curious, she got up and looked out... To see nothing. She was about to dismiss it when the door to her room suddenly opened. Naturally, she was a bit freaked out. She unconsciously activated her eye powers and dispelled most of the magics in the area...

Only to see a freakish man with leathery skin staring right at her.

Vaskul quickly wrapped his hand around the girl's throat to prevent her from screaming. He didn't know or care to find out how she managed to dispel his magic, but it had little importance compared to her waking up everyone in the castle. Using his normal demilich voice, and casting an illusion to make his lips loose and torn up, he calmly and quietly said:

 _"Ssssssshhhhh..."_ Vaskul's torn mouth had loose pieces of flesh on it, and they gently fluttered against the breeze he caused by saying that. _"Go to sleep child..."_ He casted **Sleep** , and the girl closed her eyes. Poor brat would probably have nightmares. _"... Meh, she'll be just be fine. Nothing to worry about..."_ Vaskul did not bother to check if the girl was asleep, and left the room.

Meanwhile Alice XVI was trembling and after she figured out the man had left, she got up and followed him against her better judgement to find out just why he was here.

Vaskul stalked the hallways and corridors of the castle, trying to figure out where the libary was. There was always a library in a castle, and there was always a treasury to go with that. _"Where are you?..."_ He rasped, the ivoric carvings on his boots causing subtle noises to echo throughout the hallways. He turned to his left and opened a door. There was nothing in there except for some jail cells. Most likely a prison. He walked off again and repeated this process a few times, until he encountered a small girl with abnormally large breasts, most likely some form of freakish and unfortunate Imp. Why this world kept on insisting on torturing him like this, he didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted to kill her, but ultimately knew she was best left alive.

"A... A human!? Here?!" The Imp looked afraid at the appearance of the skeletal-like man with flesh that seemed to be stretched across his bones... The Dark gleam in his eyes froze her in place.

 _"Do you know where your_ _library is?"_ He whispered hoarsely.

"I- It's the s-se-seventh r-right turn from here, and your si-sixth left turn from there... Y-You c-can't miss it!" The Imp stuttered.

 _"Good,"_ Vaskul promptly backhanded the Imp and knocked her unconscious, just to make sure she didn't alert anyone, _"Let's see if she was right..."_

He took the directions and quickly found the library, much to his delight. _"Hehehe!"_ He flew up to the top shelfs and scanned them for anything useful. _"The Great Monster Wars... Lord of the Underworld... Necromantic Arts... Oh my! What a wonderous find, and so quickly as well!"_ He gleefully brought them to a table and started reading. Eventually, he flipped to a page in the history book and found that the large source of the darkness he felt when he was first nearby this world was apparantly Alipheese Fateburn the First, also known as the "Dark Goddess."

 _Most likely a Primal Dark Elemental,_ he thought as he read on. He also got a relatively good description of the Six Ancestors this "Alipheese" created.

 _So that Nine-Tailed Kitsune was hiding something... She resembles this "Tamamo-No-Mae" too much to dismiss, and those other Ancestors give me a good idea of what some of those great sealed powers were as well,_ He assumed that 7 of the Great Sealed Powers he felt when he scryed the place was probably Alice the First and her Ancestors. _But that doesn't solve what the other 2 powers were..._ Vaskul came to the section of the book about Ilias and her "Angels."

 _Cruel, Twisted, Pathological Liar, Petty, Backstabbing, and Greedy. That sounds a lot like me. Did she accidently influence herself by reading through my mind? It would certainly affect any normal person. I'll certainly have to get acquainted with her soon if this is all true as well..._ Vaskul thought as he closed the book and opened the book titled the "Lord of Hell."

He began to read the passages and began absorbing the information.

* * *

...

 _Long ago, during the center and most destructive period of the Great Wars, when the Three Seraphim and Six Ancestors were all fighting at once, a Horrific and Bloodthirsty Demon fell from the Heavens itself and shattered the world into Three Continents... The sleeping demon, awakened by the Carnage and Chaos that emanated from the constant fighting, bellowed to the Three Seraphim and Six Ancestors:_

 ** _"I am Estark. That is all I can remember... I do not even remember if I am good or evil, orderly or chaotic, Savior or Satan. Have you come here to destroy me?"_**

 _The young and arrogant Lucifina scoffed and sarcastically said that they indeed came to kill the Evil One. In response, The Emperor took it seriously and gripped his terrifying scimitars:_

 _ **"Is that so?... If that is your wish, then so be it. But know that I will not go down easily..."**_

 _It was at this point the Emperor got off his crater and stood high above the 9 Interlopers, and glared down upon them, and said the words that would go down in history as the words that brought down Heaven and Hell itself to their knees:_

 ** _"DO YOUR_ _WORST_!"**

 _The Seraphim and Ancestors fought valiantly and vigorously, but even then they were no match for the Demon King, and were stepped upon as mere ants in his almighty presence. The Goddesses of Light and Darkness came down to smite the blasphemer, but try as they may, the Invincible Estark walked through even their strongest attempts, and cut them where they stood, and to this day, Ilias has but two grand wings when she used to have ten, and_ _Alipheese_ _has but her snake-like tail replacement for the legs Estark tore from her._

 _Unsatisfied, the Evil One would go on to slaughter millions of angels and monsters, driving the two warring races to near-extinction whilst he united and led the race of man to his bid and call. While fighting in the wars, the Dark Dream Nokturnus would be summoned by the old chieftain and the former Animists of Sabasa. When Nokturnus finally left, Sabasa had become the burning and desolate desert it is today._

 _It is rumored that it was Estark who founded Sabasa and Grangold while Ilias founded San Ilia and_ _Alipheese founded Grand Noah to combat the threat of Estark, but it is ultimately only transparent rumors and nothing more._

 _Another story would be of how an elven-like, Demon Warrior by the name of Psaro the Manslayer was seen duelling the Emperor in one-on-one combat, with the victor unknown._

 _And the last widely known rumor would be of the Archfiend Mortamor being seen in the nightmares of everyone across the land. It was assumed Alipheese and Minagi managed to drive away the Archfiend before his foul schemes could be unleashed, though the presence of Mortamor and Grandmaster Nimzo had made their terrifying existence known..._

 _The Wars had over time slowly devolved into a futile resistance against Emperor Estark, with the former rivals Ilias and Alipheese working together to bring the Demon down... Years turned to decades... Decades to Centuries... Until finally, Lord Estark was confronted by Ilias and Alipheese, and was put to an eternal sleep by their song. The wondrous and beautiful song the two sang to the restless Emperor lulled the Demon to sleep. Upon this event, the two Goddesses brought the sleeping Emperor to an unknown location, where they sealed him away in a prison where no human, monster, or angel could ever reach or know of. And there Estark will sleep, until the end of time and space, he will sleep, forever more incapable of terrorizing the world he once held in an iron grip._

...

* * *

 _So no one except this "Alipheese" and Ilias know where Estark is? Damn, it might actually become necessary to find and talk with Ilias to find Estark... Though it is probably only a matter of time before the seal on Estark wears off... I'll have to think on this, to say the least._ Vaskul thought as he closed the book, now looking at the last book he picked up.

 _"Necromantic Arts... I hope it has something useful in it that gives this world **some** credit_," Vaskul mused.

Just as he was about to read it, he heard faint footsteps coming to the Library. Not wanting his presence to be known yet, Vaskul _Polymorphed_ into a snake and hid in one of the crevices, hoping that was enough to hide him from whoever came here.

"Come now Alice. You really shouldn't be up this late," a young, childish-like voice lectured the spying Alice.

"But Tamamo, there was a scary man in there!" Alice complained back to the voice.

"Now, now. It was nothing, there couldn't be anyone here. The security is always high in the Maou's Castle," the young voice, presumably Tamamo, reassured the young yoma.

"But he literally came in through my window and tried to strangle me..." Alice pouted, not happy that she wasn't being taken seriously.

Tamamo sighed. Why did it have to be now of all times that Alice had to get nightmares or irrational fears? "Come on, your mother won't be happy about you being up this late. It's not healthy to be awake all night."

"But he was right there! I saw him turn into a snake and hide somewhere when he heard you coming!" Alice protested, pointing at where Vaskul previously was, causing the Wizard to glare at her in a rather pissed-off fashion from his hiding spot.

Tamamo pinched the bridge of her nose. She honestly just wanted some sleep at this point. "If I go in there and show you it's all just your imagination, will you go to sleep?" she offered.

"Yes!" Alice agreed.

Sighing in defeat, Tamamo walked in the library and looked around. It was relatively empty, and no one seemed to be in here... But Tamamo started to feel that something was off when she noted some books were out though. Books that hardly anyone wanted to read... So why was that old book "Lord of the Underworld" out on the table? Hardly anyone would be interested in _that_ part of the Wars. Tamamo grimaced at the memory of being crushed by Estark. That... That was definitely something she never wanted to look back and think about again. And then there was another history book on the Great Wars along with "Necromantic Arts" written by the Artistes, Shirome if she recalled correctly, left on the table when she was _sure_ they were in the various bookshelves.

She sniffed the area, and at that moment knew for sure _someone_ was, or still is, in here. "Come out. I know you're hiding somewhere," she stated to whoever was hiding in the shadows. She waited, then heard a small hiss as a black snake came into view.

The snake slowly morphed into that of a freakish man, and he smiled at Tamamo, _"Quite the sharp sense of smell you have, Tamamo-No-Mae! I was curious as to what an 'Ancestor' of this world was truly like. I must say I am disappointed,"_ he greeted politely, yet still insulting her at the same time, _"Ah! But where are my manners? I am Vaskul, a travelling wizard."_

Tamamo could see through Vaskul's smile. He was definitely dangerous if he already knew her to be an Ancestor, and could be especially dangerous to someone as young as Alice, "Alice, go to sleep in your room. Now!" She commanded the young yoma.

"Oh... Okay..." The Lamia did not get far before Vaskul teleported in front of her.

 _"Ah ah ah ah! I can't have you alerting the rest of the castle, now can I? You can just stay right here!"_ Vaskul waved his finger in a mock-scolding way.

"Let Alice go off on her way. She can't do anything to really hurt you, and no one would believe her if she did try to rat you out," Tamamo told Vaskul.

 _"Perhaps. She can go free once I'm done with business here. Besides, a little lack of sleep won't hurt her!"_ Vaskul rasped, scaring Alice to slither off and hide behind Tamamo.

"Why are you here anyways? Did you come here to kill the Monster Lord like the rest of those idiotic 'Heroes?' And why are you researching Estark? That's a touchy and controversial topic to learn about, even for the Artistes' standards," Tamamo questioned, walking towards Vaskul and gauging him carefully.

 _"Kill your pitiful ruler? Oh! Why that's... That's... A waste of time. Who cares for such weaklings? As for Estark... Heh, well I have been looking for a certain Secret for a long time, and Estark is the only one left who could possibly know it, whether it be in his mind or body."_ Vaskul cryptically answered, keeping an eye out for any attempts by her to try and attack him.

"Pitiful? Weak? Why would you call mom that?..." Alice asked quietly behind Tamamo.

 _"I've been alive a long time youngling. Even your Primal Elemental,_ _Alipheese the First,_ _is but a baby compared what I've seen and done. Though, I will give her credit along with Ilias for putting Estark to sleep. That's about the only weakness Estark truly has to be honest, and singing him a lullaby like a Mother does to a Child is truly the most **godly** way of beating him. A wonderful job if I do say so myself!" _Vaskul sarcastically praised.

"You didn't answer the question, why are you after Estark? What Secret is so important that you need to go and release _him_ of all people?" Tamamo ignored the hidden jab at her creator and steeled herself for a fight. She _absolutely_ could not allow anyone to release Estark. Doing that could result in the end of the world as they knew it! And all for some "Secret" this man wanted...

 _"That, my fuzzy little friend, is my own business!... And you know what? I think I'm wasting time here! So, I'll take my leave, but not before I leave you all a little gift..."_ Vaskul sighed and casted _Create Undead_ and formed an average Wight.

The abominable thing had a vague and twisted semblance of what could've once been human, and had a look in its eyes that spoke of pure hatred and insanity. Its dry and coarse skin was stretched far across its bones, and was shallow and pale enough for them to see the veins and bones just beneath. The clothing it wore was torn and smelt of blood and rot. Its gray hair was ragged and clumped up in a greasy mess, and its eyes darted back and forth, barely restraining itself from attacking Alice and Tamamo.

"What... What sort of monster is this?" Tamamo had seen all sorts of monsters, from her personal creations, to her sisters' creations, to the ones that evolved over time, but she had never seen one like _this_.

 _"Like it? It's a Wight. A relatively weak undead creature, but it is rather useful, much more than a goddamned Zombie by any stretch. If you want to know the details, it's basically a human who died in, or had, extremely violent and/or a hateful nature, and was reanimated as this. Careful now, if it kills you, you'll become just like it~!"_ Vaskul said in a joyful sing-song voice, _"Now Wight, attack those two!"_ He cackled loudly as he casted _Wraith Form_ and flied away through the ceiling.

"Gah!" Tamamo just barely got of the way before the snarling Wight could slash her with its misshapen claws. Immediately losing interest in Tamamo, the Wight turned to the nearest one, Alice, and lunged at her. Alice ducked out of the way and tried to move away, but the Wight had some basic intelligence and grabbed her tail and yanked her back to it, pinning her against the floor.

"Eee!" Alice squealed and squirmed about, but to no avail. She could smell the horrid stench the Wight had as it opened its mouth. It was like a pile of decomposing rats had a week-old bucket of blood poured onto it. But just as the Wight was going to bite, Tamamo got her hands around its head and cleanly tore it off, instantly killing the undead abomination.

Curiously enough, instead of blood pouring out, all Alice got on herself was a cloud of dust... And maybe some yellow fluids leaking from her privates. Alice curled up in a ball and shivered from the experience, apparently traumatized by the Wight.

"Damn... That _thing_ could give even the Artiste's best creations a run for their money..." Tamamo sighed in relief and comforted Alice.

"There there... It's all okay... You're alright now. He can't hurt you anymore..." She sincerely hoped that this one encounter with that freak did not traumatize Alice enough to turn her into another Black Alice. She would have to wait until she could defend herself before she could be allowed to interact with humans... Especially if ones like Vaskul were running around doing whatever they wanted nowadays.

"Wait, where's the books?" Tamamo noticed that the "Necromantic Arts" book was missing, "I have a feeling that I'm going to be getting to know Vaskul quite a bit in the future..."

* * *

 _*Meanwhile with Vaskul*_

 _..._

While Tamamo was comforting a traumatized Alice XVI, a certain jackass by the name of Vaskul was flying rapidly towards the South in a wraith form, laughing his ass off at his little parting "gift." They didn't even notice he came back while they were fighting the Wight and realize he grabbed the Necromancy book and got away again!

 _"HAHAHAHA! Ah ha... I haven't had that much fun since I replaced Orcus' larva snacks with diet pills!"_ He cackled, quickly zooming by various towns and villages. He briefly considered reading the book he had, but decided to keep that for later when he arrived at Ilias Continent. When he finally arrived, he saw a small village, and saw only slimes and humanoid slugs in the area. _"This will make for an excellent starting point!..."_ Vaskul thought aloud as he landed in an open patch of land. He used his magic to uproot and cut up some nearby trees and made a basic cabin with a door.

Inside his makeshift home, Vaskul used _Create Greater Item_ to make various necessities for an average human body: A bed, a cooking pot, some shelves, a fire pit and a rocking chair. Satisfied, Vaskul brought out some of his more magical items to make for a small and portable scrying place. He was done with his little set-up soon enough.

 _"This will do for now. All I have left to do now is to wait and see for an event to happen so that I can safely find Estark,"_ Vaskul smiled viciously, _"It would not be wise to bring attention to myself now... I'll just wait and slowly gather my power and knowledge of this world until I can go out knowing what will happen. And perhaps getting in contact with Ilias again will benefit me... Heh, It will all come in due time..."_ With that, Vaskul sat on his new rocking chair and began reading "Necromantic Arts."

...

 _"That was most... 'Informational...'"_ Vaskul commented to himself as he finished the book. Suffice to say, the book had more lewd content than he would've liked. _"But I suppose it was not completely worthless. At least now I can set up and predict some basic spells this world might have, which isn't that much to be honest,"_ Shrugging, he put the book away and went to sleep for once.

Vaskul's plan continued like that for years on end. Instead of charging headfirst into things, he would wait and take notes. When Monsters attacked? They died. When humans came close by? They suddenly had the urge to not go near. There was a plethora of good reagents nearby? You bet he was taking it. He enjoyed this simple life, fake as it may be. It gave him a chance to appreciate the finer things in life and actually try to be an alchemist, though his attempts might've been explosive at first.

He eventually learned of a quiet village of humans called "Ilias Village" nearby, with Enrika, a supposed 'trading' place. Vaskul pondered on whether he should try his hand at being a merchant. He certainly had enough materials and magic to make a crap-ton of enchanted rings and such, and he could make reasonably good potions now, but he had... well, bad social skills was an understatement. He really could not keep up a facade even if he was disguised as a completely normal human. But he _really_ wanted to get a chance to drink alcohol again... But then again, Vecna didn't become a god by being loyal, Vaskul wouldn't get money and respect if he was a coward.

After making several potions and enchanted items, and smoothing out his skin as well as combing his hair, Vaskul felt he was ready to try his hand at being a merchant. Perhaps he'll head off to... Ilias Village? That could be a good place to start out at. Going to Enrika would be a bad idea if it really was a trading center for merchants. _"Off I..."_ Vaskul cleared his throat, "Off I go!"

He was casually walking down the path, happy and cheerful, when he saw a group of seemingly brutish men chuckling and laughing at something. They were blocking his path to Ilias Village. Not wanting his clean pinstriped clothing to get dirty from the mud and dirt, Vaskul called out to the men.

"Excuse me, fine sirs, but would you be kind as to please move along? I do have plenty of things to be doing now." He politely inquired.

The men turned and looked over him, greedily looking over his enchanted items and various potions. "Now looky 'ere boys! A merchant all alone... Oh how sad! How's about we give ya a helpin' hand and _take_ the burden of all them items for ya?" He guffawed with laughter along with the others.

"Ah! You're interested in buying my magical jewelry? Or perhaps you would be interested in buying a potion of strength?" Vaskul forcefully smiled, still wanting to have a good day. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this right now.

"Ohohoho! A magic man! That there s'plains your backwards-ass clothing! Welly now, us commoners don't take kindly to random witches or wiz'ards comin' in-a town now! So, how'sa bout this? You drop your shit, and get the hell outta Ilias Continent, and we'll a..." The Man stood aside to reveal a woman and a child surrounded and being harassed by the goons. "Let 'im go to ya for free, notta bad deal, eh?"

"Hm..." The Man motioned for the goons to move aside so Vaskul could get a closer look. The woman instinctively shielded her son away from him. "I feel like I've met someone like this boy before... And the woman feels... Off. I just know there's something off about this one. Is she with your bunch?" he questioned, looking back at the leader with a smile that could give nightmares.

"Er... No sir. We just now got her. Is that a problem?" he sweated bullets from Vaskul's scrutinizing gaze, and suddenly had his personality perform a 180.

Vaskul stroked his chin in thought. He knows he felt this aura before from this woman. He's never met her, but something about her seems familiar along with that boy... Could it be? "Well, there is a slight problem here," He winked at the woman.

"Wha- What's that?" The Man felt like there was a bad thing coming _very_ soon.

"I'm not a slaver. And if I was, well, I wouldn't be making deals with bitches like _you,_ " Vaskul snapped his fingers and chanted **Kaboom.**

"Oh shit! He's a castin-!" The Man never got to finish his sentence, for he exploded into tiny pieces afterwards.

The other thugs cried out for help before they too, were snuffed by an explosion. Never dropping his smile, Vaskul turned and noted his bloody clothes.

"Would you perchance be interested in buying my products?" He joked, trying to play off his quick and deadly deeds for laughs. It's how he slipped out of trouble sometimes with other Worlds, and he hoped it would work here as well.

"A- Ah... No thank you... Thank you for helping us though. They were..." The Woman paused for moment to come up with the right way to say it around her child, "Harassing us. But why would you help us though?" She asked.

"They blocked my path you know, and I'm not a patient man. I was in a happy mood today as well, and they ruined it. So! I decided to vent out a little anger. Is there something wrong with that?" Vaskul happily chirped, "I presume you live in Ilias Village?" He then said, trying to steer the topic away.

"Well yes, technically... We're outcasts from the town. Nobody wants anything to do with us. At best they ignore us and refuse to have anything to do with us," The woman said sadly.

"Really now? Why's that?" Vaskul questioned.

"They believe me to be some witch or dark magic user," the woman sighed, "I don't even know why they do, they just think there's something wrong with me and my son."

"Oh what fools! Magic is a wondrous thing to be admired and respected! Not to be thrown away and feared!" Vaskul claimed.

"Well you can't really blame them. With all of the dark elves that used to run around luring men away a few years ago, the townsfolk became very superstitious around any Monster or Magic-related things," She reasoned.

"Dark elves?... Oh! You mean the group I slaugh... Er, Got rid of recently... yes, I definitely did not massacre them. Not in the slightest..." Vaskul did remember a band of Dark Elves that tried to rape and enslave him a while back, and well... they didn't come out of his cabin. It was also around that time his cabin smelled a lot more like death, but that wasn't relevant. Not at all...

The Woman massaged her head as if she had a headache from the oddity she was talking to right now, "But where are my manners? I am Lucifina, and this is my son Luka!" She shifted the conversation to something a bit more pleasant now.

 _Lucifina? Isn't that the name of that idiot creation of Ilias who pissed Estark off? That would certainly explain her aura... But what is she doing_ _here?_ Vaskul thought, "And my name is Vaskul, pleased to make your acquaintance!" At his name Lucifina widened her eyes for a split-second, but it went away the next.

"The pleasure is all mine! And please, let us at least treat you to dinner and get you some clean clothes, after all, if not for us, you wouldn't have to wash your..." Lucifina looked at Vaskul's pinstriped pants and oddly fancy black coat, trying to find the right way to describe it... _nicely,_ "Exotic Clothing."

"Oh, this? Ah don't worry. It's nothing!" With another snap of his fingers, Vaskul magically removed the blood from his clothes and used the blob of blood to water the nearby trees. "But I do fancy the idea of eating with company again..."

* * *

 _*At Luka and Lucifina's House*_

 _..._

"Here you go you two!" Lucifina smiled widely as she served the two the food she had made.

"Thank you Mom!" Luka thanked as he dug in.

"Ah, I appreciate it, Lucifina!" Vaskul adjusted his tongue glands to actually receive signals and pleasure and thus got to savor the taste. Truthfully... It was quite delightful! "Quite excellent food you've made!... Though, if you would be so kind, I'd like to ask a few questions..."

"Sure! Just as long as they aren't too personal." Lucifina said as she began to eat.

"Thank you. Now, I am rather new to these lands, and I keep hearing about this "Ilias." Would you mind telling me what she means to the average folk?" Vaskul asked, blowing off some steam from his soup.

"You don't know who Ilias is?" Luka idly thought aloud, "But even the monsters know who she is. How do you not know?"

"As I said, I am rather new here. About the only thing I know about this new land is that the local monsters are exclusively rapists and slavers rather than some of the ones I knew from my lands," Vaskul answered vaguely.

"Well, Ilias is the Goddess of Light and is considered to be the one who created the world," Lucifina answered. "The Monsters here were created by her renegade creation Alice the First, otherwise known as the Dark Goddess, and that resulted in a great war. After she managed to defeat Alice the First and seal her along with her Ancestors, Ilias became the center of faith in the world."

 _Oh, so the little light elemental Ilias calls herself God now huh? Pretentious prick!..._ Vaskul thought as he processed the answer.

"Hm... Not what I expected to hear," Vaskul knew Lucifina knew more than that. It just didn't add up. She had the aura of a lesser light elemental, clearly had the name of one of those "Seraphim" angels Ilias created, did not back down from him back when he pretended to consider the thought of keeping them as slaves despite the odds quite clearly being against her, yet she says a generic answer like that? Perhaps dropping a name would... _Persuade_ her to be more honest.

"Then of what of the Emperor, Estark? Who is he to the common person? All I know is that it is ill-advised to speak about him," Vaskul smirked when he saw Lucifina's eyes widen. Luka seemed to be clueless as to who Estark was however.

"Mom? Who's Estark?" Luka asked.

"Just... Esturk was a horrible person. You'll know more when you're older someday," Lucifina shot a brief glare at Vaskul that screamed " _We're having a long talk later."_

In response, Vaskul's smirk grew to a disturbingly long and murderous smile. Now he knew for _sure_ that this Lucifina was the same one as the one mentioned in that book he read years ago... She even said "Esturk." No one knew that except for those who happened to hear Estark mumble in his sleep or delve deep into his mythos, and Lucifina did not strike Vaskul as the type of person to go reading about History in-depth like that.

He was even happier at the implications of Luka not knowing who this "Estark" is. It could either mean that he was sheltered (Not likely seeing as how he and Lucifina got cornered by those thugs earlier) or that people in general just did not know about Estark. Perhaps Ilias managed to sweep that under the rug? It has certainly been a long time since those wars supposedly started, and being the chief "God" of whatever Pantheon this world had would give her a lot of leeway as to what she could say and how many would believe her. For all he knew, all Estark was to the majority of the world was a mere myth like Erdrick defeating Zoma on his own.

Pretending to be satisfied, Vaskul finished his dish and excused himself, "I'll be outside if you need me!" He tipped his hat off to Lucifina as thanks for the food and went out to wait for her.

Soon enough she too came to meet Vaskul. She had a grim expression on her face, and had her arms crossed. After a long pause, she said: "Alright. Enough stalling. Who are you?"

Snickering, Vaskul turned to face her, "Why, I am Vaskul. A travelling wizard selling various enchanted items and potions. Did I not tell you this already?" He grinned.

"Not that, I meant your true self. I've noticed there's a bit too much darkness in you. Far more than a normal man should be able to stand, and that energy also has a distinction to it that separates it from the one normally felt from say, a slime or dragon. And then there's your knowledge of Estark. No one except me and a few others even know he exists, yet somehow an ordinary man casually drops it during dinner as if he's common knowledge. What even are you?" Lucifina shot an accusatory look at Vaskul.

Scoffing, Vaskul cracked his neck and dispelled the illusion on his eyes and teeth, revealing the jewels lodged in his skull. _"First off, I am not human. Not anymore. Secondly, that 'Darkness', as you call it, is called Negative Energy. Thirdly, I've known about Estark even before your 'Ilias' was even born. Of course he's common knowledge to me,"_ Vaskul rasped in his true voice.

Startled, Lucifina took up a defensive posture and Vaskul felt a burst of light energy. _"And as for you... You are obviously not human yourself. You have too much Light in you than say... A normal man, should be able to withstand. There's also your stance and look in your eyes. It screams of old age and experience, just as much as perhaps an Angel of Ilias would have? And lastly, there's your name. I've seen a few books written by the monsters, and there's quite a few recurring descriptions of Ilias' Seraphim. From Eden, Micaela, and lastly... **Lucifina.** You can't trick someone like me, youngling. I may not have a good understanding of current events today, but I certainly know this world's past."_

Sighing, Lucifina dropped her arms and the sudden burst in light magic dispersed, "You're right. I'm not human. I am one of Ilias' Seraphim... Did you come here to bring me back to her or something? Because if so, you're in for a fight..."

 _"No. I've no **major** interest in Ilias yet. She doesn't concern me yet,"_ Vaskul lied. Of course he was interested in getting a potential pawn back under his command! He was the very first thing she even spoke to! And of course he'd be interested in seeing how she's grown while he was gone.

"Then why are you here?..." Lucifina looked at a lost for words.

 _"Quite simple. I desired answers for things I did not know,"_ Vaskul would've rolled his eyes if he had pupils right now, _"And a Seraphim seemed like a good source of knowledge. Speaking of which, why are you here? Aren't you... I don't know, supposed to be with Ilias? Unless Ilias is nearby of course..."_ Vaskul idly thought.

"Oh. I... Rebelled against her. Me and Micaela saw the truth about her... And we wouldn't stand for it anymore. So... We left." Lucifina admitted, feeling safer now that she knew Vaskul wasn't working with Ilias.

 _"Micaela? Ah, the other Seraphim. I assume she's nearby?"_ Vaskul guessed.

"Yes. She's in Enrika," Lucifina said.

 _Enrika? Heh. Guess that meant I would've met one of Ilias' creations either way,_ Vaskul thought.

 _"Well now... I suppose there's one last question I have, then you can ask me whatever you want to ask,"_ Vaskul mused.

"What would that be?" Lucifina asked.

 _"What is 'Faerun' to Ilias? Has she ever said anything about that? And, vain I know, what does 'Vaskul' mean to her?"_ Vaskul figured it was probably pointless to ask Lucifina where Estark was. Chances were that she figured out he was after the Emperor and attempt to stop him, and well... Vaskul wasn't in the mood right now to deal with that.

"Oh! Um... Well... I heard Ilias once murmer something about one day finding Faerun or the uh... 'Promised Land', if I remember correctly. She seemed really obsessed with 'Faerun' for some reason. And as for your name... Well..." Lucifina's cheeks blushed so hard that she looked like a tomato.

 _"Well? Come on, it can't be that bad,"_ Vaskul put on a brave facade, but secretly he was terrified of the thought of what an overly obsessive elemental could think of.

"Back when she actually slept, I could occasionally hear her moan in ectasy while saying your name, and the bedsheets seemed to twist and jump at completely random intervals..." Lucifina said.

Vaskul's Sapphire Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"And whenever she thought she was alone, me and Micaela could hear faint wet noises..."

Vaskul's Onyx Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"Come to think of it, I do remember some clear liquids on her bed every now and then..."

Vaskul's Amethyst Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"Also I once walked in on her in the shower, singing in a strange sharp language. I think one of them was 'Vaskul'... She didn't find out thankfully."

Vaskul's Turquoise Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"And I do remember the one time she got drunk, I think she started flirting and saying some _really_ perverted stuff with something that wasn't there, but I don't think Alcohol has that effect on people... Does it? And after that, she... Did something lewd while everyone else was away I'm guessing, as there was a lot of feathers all over the place when I got back."

Vaskul's Emerald Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"Also, I recall a time where she spun around in circles singing some sort of song about 'Vaskul'."

Vaskul's Moonstone Soul Gem became a Ruby.

"And then she seemed to be rehearsing at one point in time for someone she wanted to meet badly again. You would believe how lame and cheesy some of her lines were."

Vaskul's Ruby Soul Gem slowly darkened to a scarlet color.

"I also remember her curled up and quietly crying, begging for 'Vaskul' to return and bring her to 'Faerun' like he 'Promised'. It was... Disturbing seeing my creator like that. It was like I didn't even exist to her, and all that mattered was the 'Promised Land'.

Vaskul's Two Diamond Soul Gems became Bloody in color.

"And I think there was more. Maybe Micaela remembers some?"

 _"Please_ stop. I think that's enough of scarring me for all eternity..." Vaskul weakly raised a hand in a stopping gesture, even going the extra mile and changing his voice to sound pleasant. "I did not think one conversation would make someone _this_ obsessive... the hell is wrong with everyone in this world?..." He muttered.

"Oh! I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe how strange things can be in Heaven," Lucifina said, "I haven't even gotten to the _really_ embarrassing stories yet!"

Vaskul's Phylactery could've passed for a strawberry if wasn't an orb, and if it wasn't stored in Vaskul's skull like a normal brain.

"Please don't. I don't want to hear a Light Element's sick fantasies of me. That's just wrong on a whole new level. Even Mind Flayers and Aboleths wouldn't want to have something like that happen to their victims," Vaskul would've been outright begging if his pride allowed it.

"... Okay." Lucifina seemed a bit disappointed at that, but decided to stop.

Vaskul looked up to see it was almost night-time, and they still haven't gotten around to Lucifina's questions. _Oh dear Ao, I spent almost half a day listening to someone recounting the times she saw her own creator fantasize about me... What am I doing with my life?_ He groaned. He was going to have nightmares for centuries.

"... Well now, I did say after I asked my questions, you could ask yours. So go ahead and ask away," he said, wanting to get this over with.

"Alright," Lucifina got more serious now, "Why are you all the way out here in Ilias Village of all places? For someone like you, I would've thought you'd be somewhere near a place where you can get information that isn't tainted with Ilias and Superstition."

"I am only out here because I am waiting for an opportunity for something to happen. For now, I decided I would just wait out here and slowly improve and build upon my skills in alchemy, and perhaps learn more about Ilias and the Monsters of this world."

"There you go again. You act as if you don't know much about Ilias, yet you claim to be older than her, and you said you had no major interest in her. What is with that? What relationship do you think you have with her?"

"That... Well, I'm certain you won't really believe me, but I actually met her long before she arrived to this world. I technically gave her sentience, and had her go here, promising her that I would return someday to take her to Faerun. Quite clearly much has changed, and now I need to wait and bide my time, get an idea of what exactly I'm dealing with at this point."

"You're right, I do find that hard to believe... But it does explain her odd attachment to your name, Vaskul... and why she seems obsessed with Faerun..." Lucifina hummed, "You'd do best to avoid her. If you ever do meet her in person, she might act all warm and snuggle up to you, say things she'd _never_ say about others... but she's completely insane. I'm certain she'd try to wrap you around her finger, trying to make you her own if she got the chance, chain you up mentally like a slave. She'd talk about how you might be smarter or stronger than her, but she would secretly desire to make you her own, like a dog to come at her beck and call. Of course, that's assuming you're actually telling the truth!"

 _Huh. Sounds like a typical BDSM relationship taken up to eleven. It can't be **that** bad, but then again, best not to take any chances whatsoever... _Vaskul dismissed the thought of that for the sake of his sanity, and said, "I see. Did you want to ask anything else?"

Lucifina didn't seem to have any more questions, "I don't, not for now anyways."

"Alright. I'll see you later then!" Vaskul said, waving her goodbye as he walked back to his own house.

"Farewell!" Lucifina waved him off, and went back in her house.

* * *

 _*Tomorrow*_

 _..._

 _"Ugh... Daytime already? But I finally got to go to sleep after several dozen nightmares!"_ Vaskul whined to himself as he pulled the pillow over his face.

... The Sun wouldn't just stop shining because he asked it too, and the day would go on.

 _"Fine... I'll go,"_ Vaskul got up and prepared for his day, "Perhaps I'll pay Lucifina a visit. She seemed friendly enough when I left," He thought aloud as he walked down the dirt road. Eventually he arrived at her house to see Luka practicing with a twig against a tree, "Hello, Luka!" Vaskul greeted as he came up to the child. "Might you know where Lucifina is?"

"Mom? She went out to get some plants or something for dinner," Luka said as he continued swinging the small stick against the tree.

"Ah, okay. What are you doing?" Vaskul then asked.

"Me? I'm training! I want to be a Hero one day, but since nobody wants to help me become one, I decided to train myself!" Luka proudly demonstrated his skills by wailing away at the tree with a twig.

 _Cute. Must be a running trait in Ilias' family line,_ Vaskul inwardly smiled. It reminded him of his mortal youth, when he was a warrior fighting to protect those he loved. Fat load of good that did him. Good thing his old master Kyous found him and trained him as an apprentice. Good times, good times!

"Ha ha... why should you practice with a stick..." Vaskul casted _Create Item_ , and handed a wooden sword to Luka, "When you can use a proper sword?"

"Wow! Thanks!" Luka gleamed with joy as he set out to continue sharpening his "skills" by flailing away at the tree.

 _Oh dear. Even a Goblin has better skills than that._ Vaskul sighed mentally. Perhaps while he waited for something to happen he could train this boy? Might provide a good distraction every now and then when he got too frustrated searching for Estark, "Now, now Luka. That's no way to swing a sword!" Vaskul stopped Luka and stepped forward.

"It's not?" Luka tilted his head.

"Yes, it's not. First off, you don't have any defense nor do you keep your guard up. You can't really be thinking that your enemy will just let you flail and swing away at them, right? Right. You need to keep a balance between attacking and defending," Vaskul demonstrated by creating another sword, this one being made of iron, and quickly cutting at the tree then promptly jumping back and holding his sword in a defensive position.

"I see..." Luka seemed to be catching on quick. Maybe he's taking this seriously because this might be the only time anyone shows any compassion and trains him? Probably.

"Another thing to remember is to circle around your opponent if you're in an area open enough for that. Not only will you be able to see anyone who might want to jump in and help your opponent and attack you, but the person you circle around will also have to be constantly turning around to keep you in their line of sight," Vaskul said as he circled around the tree. "You see how I don't have to look away to see my surroundings? Doing this, I can both look around the area to keep an eye out for potential enemies while keeping my opponent in sight."

Luka looked eager to try this out and test it.

"Lastly, we have natural weaknesses. Everything has a weakness. Whether it be a slug's weakness to salt, a slime's weakness to fire, to a dragon's natural arrogance, or even a Succubus' perverted nature, it is still a weakness. Luka, I'd like you to try and tell me how you could exploit those weaknesses." Vaskul gestured for Luka to talk.

"Um... I could throw salt at one of the slug girls and distract them while I charge in while they're wounded. I could probably use a torch or something hot to burn the local slime girls and prevent them from regenerating... I might be able to try and challenge a dragon to fight or give herself a handicap to try and prove that she's better. I have no idea what to do for a Succubus though," Luka answered/guessed.

"Good, good. All of those work rather well. As for a Succubus, well, you might think at first that they would only have normal strengths and limits like any other monster, but they are _extremely_ perverted." Vaskul said.

"But that won't work... I'm only 5 years old..." Luka pointed out, unsure how this was supposed to work.

Vaskul sighed, "They are nymphomaniacs for damn near everything Luka, even for young boys like you. Besides, there's worse things for them to try and rape," Vaskul raised a finger before Luka could ask, "Anyways, a Succubus is perverted and thinks about sex first and then everything else. That includes fighting. So, if I was fighting a Succubus, I could say... Reveal a bit of my torso or legs, and that would distract them far longer than a normal monster, giving me a chance to attack. Of course, that's not to say a Succubus will instantly bow down because you showed them a bit of skin for about five seconds, but it will provide you a short window of time to attack them when they're vulnerable... No, that does not mean you should undo your pants and flash them. While that might confuse them or distract them for a few minutes, that also saves them the effort of having to undo your pants to rape you. And the whole point of me doing this training session is to make sure you _don't_ get raped." Vaskul told Luka.

"I thought this was training, not Psychology..." Luka whined.

"Luka, if you know your own capabilities and your weaknesses, and you know your opponent's capabilities and weaknesses, you will know exactly what to do for that opponent and how to properly defend or dodge their every attack. And if they can't hit you or harm you that much, how can they win? You see what I am saying?" Vaskul lectured Luka.

"I see..." Luka said, obviously not really understanding at all, "Can you train me some more later?" he then asked.

"Heh heh... Well, I don't see why not!" Vaskul decided, much to Luka's delight.

The two continued the for awhile, with Vaskul pointing out various errors in Luka's fighting and attacks, until Lucifina came back with a basket full of plants and berries.

"I'm home Luka!" She said aloud, "Oh! Vaskul! I didn't expect to see you here. Did you need something?"

"Me? Oh no. I just came by earlier to say hello, but I saw Luka here trying to train and I decided to help him a little," Vaskul said.

"A little?" Lucifina looked at him as if he was crazy, "You helped us a lot! We've been trying to get him a practice sword for years now, but as you know..." She shook her head in disgust. "Why can't they just be nice? We haven't done anything to them. All we want is to just get a sword for Luka..." She sighed.

 _It's probably because the townsfolk know there's something off with you, and that frightens them. Perhaps they act like cornered animals when they're scared?_ Vaskul thought, "Well, either way, I wasn't going to let Luka go out into the world fighting like he was before. At least now he'll do better," Vaskul said as he gestured towards Luka's improved fighting.

"Oh. Wow. You got him from flailing his stick around to mediocrely handling an actual practice sword?" Lucifina smiled deeply, "I don't know how to properly thank you," She said.

"Perhaps by making more of your wonderful food?" Vaskul joked, shrugging as he said that in a comedic fashion.

Lucifina laughed along with Luka as the three went inside to eat dinner.

...

This cycle continued for several more years, Vaskul would come along and see Lucifina and Luka, he would advise, train, and condition Luka for the outside world, have a wonderful chat with Lucifina, head inside and have dinner together. Of course, Vaskul continued his little search for Estark every once in a while, and would scry out the world, and take some notes on this world's local necromancy and magics.

Until one fateful day when Lucifina contracted a disease that the local Doctor said would kill her in a few days...

"Please! Do something! You're a wizard right?! Can't you help her?" Luka begged Vaskul.

"Now, now Luka. Be calm and rational. Let me see what I can do, and in the meantime you go and see if anyone's willing to help her out?" Vaskul told him.

"R-Right... I'll go see now!" Luka said as he ran out towards the village.

"Now then... _How should I help you?"_ Vaskul rasped as he looked closely at Lucifina.

She coughed and sweated horribly. The disease was far worse than he thought.

"I-It's too late... It doesn't matter now. There's no way I can survive..." She wheezed.

 _"Don't be so depressing and hopeless. I can easily cure you... Now hold-"_ Vaskul was cut off by her holding up her hand.

"You don't get it... Ilias sent this! She wants me to return to my angelic form so that I'll go back to her..." She said.

 _"I do not see how that affects my magic-..."_

"If she sees me alive and well as a Human, she'll question how this can be... She'll wonder how I could've recovered without returning... And she'll see you... And attack you for interfering in her plan. There's no way you can survive for long. You might-" Lucifina had a coughing fit, "You might be able to take her down one-on-one..."

 _"Correction, I'd kill her within 5 minutes if I prepared and broke out all of my spells,"_ Vaskul gently reminded her.

Lucifina looked at him with some doubt again, before breaking out into a coughing fit, "...Either way... she would quickly adapt and send the entire heavenly host against you... You'd be forced to either die or flee into hiding like me and Micaela was... And I don't want to have to bring that down on you..." Lucifina smiled weakly.

 _"So what I hear is that you want to die so that Ilias will leave you alone? You do realize that Luka-"_

"He'll be fine... I know he will be. You practically made it so that he'll live even if he was dumped into a place with no food, water, or shelter. You'd be surprised how many skills and talents he's found while training under you... And I know that you're the reason why he's so good at improvision... I'm sure he'll make for a legendary hero... Just like Marcellus..." Lucifina envisioned.

 _"Marcellus?..."_ Vaskul remembered that as the same man he met in Gold Port all those years ago... _"Ah. The Hero I met. Yes, Luka is a lot like him..."_

"You met Marcellus?" Lucifina questioned, eyes wide.

 _"Yes. I met him back in Gold Port from I first arrived to this place... I believe he and his friends were either preparing or were waiting for the moment to attack and kill the Monster Lord. He and his friends were wonderful people,"_ Vaskul answered, getting a relieved sigh from Lucifina, _"Funny, how I would wind up helping the son of the first man I met here..."_ Vaskul chuckled, _"And even more Ironic once I realize that that same child is the grandson of Ilias, who I had given the blessing of sentience to so long ago without even realizing it..."_

"Hehehe... If your tales are true, then that really is ironic, isn't it?" Lucifina laughed as well before coughing. She spasmed briefly before getting control of herself, "Ah... It would seem my time is coming. Is Luka here yet?"

 _"No, but he will be soon,"_ Vaskul said, _"You know, you don't have to die..."_ Vaskul had that gleam in his eyes that screamed that he had a plan.

"Really...? How? How can you possibly-" Lucifina was interrupted by a quick "Shhh..." from Vaskul.

 _"I am a Necromancer as I made abundantly clear to you and the others who know of me. I can quite easily raise the dead, and I can even resurrect those who have been dead for centuries. I do not think it is beyond my powers to resurrect you when the time is right. All I would need is your dead corpse. It doesn't even have to be completely intact, though I would prefer it to be so, because I can easily heal the decomposed tissues. All I need is your consent to this idea,"_ He said, having a gleeful smile on his face.

Lucifina mulled over the idea. It seemed rather easy, but there was a chance it could go wrong... Or she could be resurrected at the wrong time...

 _"Do not fear. I will only resurrect you if Ilias is dead, or if you are needed to help in a decisive battle. As I said, the choice is yours, my dear friend,"_ Vaskul waited patiently as Lucifina thought it through.

"... Yes. You can resurrect me, and you can safeguard my body until then to make sure you can resurrect me," Lucifina said.

 _"Wonderful. I do hope to see that time come soon, but until then, I suppose this is goodbye,"_ Vaskul got up, noticing that Lucifina's son had come back, _"It would appear Luka has returned. I should leave and wait until nightfall to retrieve your body. Farewell, Lucifina. It was nice knowing you,"_ Vaskul waved goodbye one last time.

"Farewell, Vaskul!..." Lucifina smiled back to him one last time.

...

"Well...? Did you?..." Luka asked.

"I'm afraid my magic would just not work on her for some reason. I don't know why... I'm sorry. I wish I could help, but I can't," Vaskul somberly said, "She's close now... You should be there for her in her last moments... I'll get the coffin ready." He trudged off.

"No M-mother..." Luka rushed in to see his mother...

* * *

 _*Later On... In the middle of the night*_

 _..._

Vaskul had already packed most of his things. He might as well head to Sentora now that Lucifina was gone and Luka had picked up on most of his training. All that was left now was to go and retrieve her body so that they could act on their plan. Vaskul eventually came up on the village graveyard and found her grave, still freshly dug, and unburied it.

 _"Let's see here..."_ Vaskul busted the casket open and found her dead body, still as peaceful and calm as ever... Albeit being a lot paler. He calmly lifted her body and opened a portal to his _Genesis_ World and laid her down there, where she could remain without making him look suspicious. Resealing and burying the Coffin again, Vaskul took one last look at the village. Sighing, Vaskul went on his way towards Sentora to the North.

On his way there, he passed by Luka's home, and saw Luka.

"Where are you going Vaskul?" He asked, noticing the bag heaved over Vaskul's shoulder.

 _"I'm off to Sentora. I've got nothing else here to do anymore. Lucifina's dead, you're all caught up and know my training, and the locals here hate my guts for what I can be like and how I blew up some of their best men back when I first met you two,"_ Vaskul admitted.

"Oh... I see," Luka sounded hurt at this.

 _"I'm sure, that one day, you'll be a great warrior Luka. I'm sure you can fulfill your desire for coexistence, and can defeat the Monster Lord. Who knows? Maybe one day we'll meet each other again, and then we can talk and laugh about our adventures... But for now, I guess this is goodbye, my faithful student,"_ Vaskul almost had a grieving tone there.

"Oh... I see. I suppose I'll see you again one day as well Vaskul... And thank you, for being there to help me when I needed it..." Luka said, "Goodbye, Vaskul!"

 _"I'll see you later!"_ Vaskul said as he walked off to Sentora, eager to see what awaited him...

* * *

Author's Notes:

So, here we see Vaskul traumatize Alice and make her afraid of the undead, as well as meeting and befriending Lucifina and Luka, and train Luka to become a better swordsman...

We'll see what else Vaskul gets up to in Sentora later on...

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	3. Artistic Necromancers

_"Shame all that hard work went to waste,"_ Vaskul muttered as he flew towards Sentora. While admittedly, Luka was a major source of entertainment, his late mother was...

Difficult.

Vaskul had spent several years living nearby and helping those two, acting all friendly and even a bit comical at times, but he knew that ultimately the late Seraphim would've never trusted him with the knowledge of Estark's resting place, even if he did cure her sickness and save her from death.

 _"Perhaps I shouldn't have been too forwards about the matter..."_ He mulled, thinking back to how he had lost patience and started asking questions the first night he met them and gave answers that, from her perspective, shouldn't be quite possible.

He wondered why for a brief moment why she could not bring herself to trust him. Was it because he just casually murdered those grunts with a smile? Was it because he demonstrated knowledge of things that only she, Micaela, and Ilias should've known? Was it because he showed his true voice and soul gems, and that led her to suspect his true intentions? Is it because she did not trust the man who made her creator into what she supposedly is now?

Maybe it was all of those. She certainly had a lack of... Surprise from what he said, even though he was less interested in her feelings and more so in answers at the time. All she really did was doubt his answers and story, hell he was surprised she didn't attack him on the spot after he showed her his skull.

It might've had something to do with her earlier experiences in the Great Monster Wars. It could've been possible that she met the likes of Nokturnus, Mortamor and Mildrath if the myths in that book were true, and if it was, those last two... Well their forms were a seemingly impossible mix of disgusting, terrifying, and weird.

Vaskul himself wasn't surprised after many things after he saw that Nimzo's true form looked like a slug with wings... And Deathtamor was a _pink_ gargoyle! So perhaps she had seen those two up close, and the experience numbed her to the feeling of surprise? Maybe a little bit, after all, she did briefly let out some of her true power upon seeing what Vaskul could be like. Or maybe she was just good at masking her emotions. After all, it takes a lot to (mostly) blend in with society, even if you were an outcast.

It could also be the fact he gave Ilias sentience and most likely influenced her personality, as well as blantatly asking about Estark and his significance, that made Lucifina distrust him? She certainly did not demonstrate a great love for her creator as Vaskul saw, and perhaps that hatred extended to Vaskul when she found out he was the one who gave Ilias sentience? It could be possible. He wasn't really that concerned if she did find out who he really was.

But then again, she did exchange pleasentries with him and answered questions that did not involve the Angels or Estark. Could that have been because of her son was there to see and hear her say any and everything? There were only a few times Vaskul was truly alone with Lucifina, but even then they were usually on good terms.

Speaking of Luka, Vaskul wondered how the boy would turn out to be. He thought he did a good job at training him, but there was no way to be certain of the boy's fate... He'll probably turn out to be a fine hero, if a bit naive. His baptizing ceromony was scheduled a couple of years from now, and that should provide plenty of time for him to sharpen his skills and learn more about various Monsters.

Moving on from the sore subject of Lucifina not truly trusting him, Vaskul went on to think about Ilias. She was an interesting case to him... A supposed "Goddess" of Light, beloved and worshipped by humans, creator of angels, enemy of monsters, yet according to Lucifina and the History Book written by the Monsters, Ilias had a heart blacker than a Nightshade.

Truly a wonderful example of why you should never judge a book by its cover.

And if Lucifina was telling the truth about Ilias's feelings and wasn't trying to throw Vaskul off by embarrasing him, then Ilias had... more than a simple crush on him. Vaskul could feel his soul gems turning into rubies as he recalled the terrifying experience. Ilias, a simple primal elemental of Light, a literal personification of that which Vaskul despised the most, not only had a similar mindset and personality, but _fantasized_ about him.

Normally Vaskul hated Gods and Goddesses who ruled over light, and a primal element was usually incapable of granting any powers or spells, but if Ilias had an entire world worshipping her and she could draw power from that, and she was hopelessly in love with Vaskul? She could have potentially gained enough worshippers become a quasi-deity, maybe even a demigod after the Great Monster Wars had taken her rival out of the picture.

 _I do need to brush up on my priestly and clerical skills... And I always wanted to try out all of the Domains..._ Vaskul snapped out of his inane musings as he saw what he thought to be a leech girl eating some traveller... Why? Why was every monster and animal he knew of anthropomorphized into (somewhat) attractive sex-machines? Why was everything so damn confusing in this world?

 _Gah! Why did this world have to throw so many variables and confusing things at me! Why do the Light Elementals claim to be Angels? Why did Lucifina not trust me and wasn't surprised by my origins and demands? Did she not believe me at all? What will Luka even become? Does Ilias remember who I am? **AND WHERE THE FUCK IS ESTARK!?**_ Vaskul mentally raged as he scouted out a nearby city.

 _... Why did Estark have to land here of all places? And why do the locals have to be so hard to understand? Do they just simply think on a fundamentally different level than Faerunic People?_ Vaskul thought lastly as he landed near the city's main entrance.

"Welcome to San Ilia, Capitial of The Natalia Region," Vaskul read off the sign. He sighed. "Ilias, a Goddess that has had thousands to millions of years to think and learn, yet she could only take off the 'S' in her name when naming a Capital?... More importantly, why is everything so far named after her? Ilias Village, Iliasburg, Iliasport, San Ilias, Ilias-This, Ilias-That! Damn it, it's fucking annoying having to repeat her name so much! Especially when I know the origin behind her name..."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Vaskul walked into the city and took in his surroundings. There were thankfully no monsters as the guards seemed to be doing their jobs fairly well, and various townsfolk were calmly and peacefully going about their day. It was tempting to summon a Beholder and see the inevitable death and carnage, but Vaskul held it off for now... He could save that for towns that are actually populated by those disgusting monsters.

"What to do, what to do, what to do..." Vaskul muttered as he passed through an allyway. When he did however, a thugish crook came out, hands in his pockets. _And great, an idiot comes out._

"Hey mate. You got any money for me?" The Crook grinned, showing off his dirty and broken teeth. "It'd be in your best interests if you give it quietly too at that!"

"What you are going to use it for? Hire someone to fix your teeth?" Vaskul jabbed, still walking away.

"Don't you walk away from me! I'm talking to you damn it!" The Crook grabbed Vaskul by the shoulder, stopping him, "I said, give me your money you bitch-...!"

The Crook gasped and fell over from the sudden hole where his heart used to be. Flexing his left hand, Vaskul sighed. "I need to work on my accuracy with this hand sometime soon, it's getting inaccurate." Taking a glance at the crook's spasming body, Vaskul scoffed and left him to die.

...

After cleaning off the blood on his hand, Vaskul managed to find the plaza of the city. He looked around and eventually saw a wooden bulletin covered in various work papers and notices held up by thumbtacks. Vaskul reasoned that he might be able to learn something from this, so he looked at the various jobs and bounties.

* [Looking for someone with a strong work arm and three months of guard work. Interview required.]

Vaskul didn't feel like having to do menial work at the moment...

* [Looking for a skilled blacksmith.]

Vaskul knew he was a very skilled and accomplished swordsman before he turned to Necromancy and Kyous, but he was hardly a good craftsman unless he could use magic to make what he wanted.

* [Looking to buy North Sentoran Grass. My house is in between Shady's and Torch Three.]

Vaskul sighed. Why couldn't this person go to North Sentora and get grass there? Who even _buys_ grass anyways?

* [I want a cute puppy.]

Vaskul's illusionary eyes bulged at this. _Holy crap! There's actual animals here in this world? I thought they were all monsters!_

After looking through a few requests and job offers, Vaskul finally found and took a notice that caught his attention.

* [To any and all brave heroes, there are rumors of a Haunted Mansion to the North-East of San Illia supposedly ran by a nevarious Necromancer. Please go there and root out the sources so that everyone may sleep well at night.]

 _A fellow Necromancer? How interesting. Perhaps he or she can provide some entertainment while I delve deeper into my studies,_ Vaskul then briefly considered the "rumors" part, and dismissed it, _Even if there isn't a Necromancer, I suppose a Haunted Mansion would attract quite a bit of this world's ghosts... So I benefit either way!_ Vaskul rationalized as he ran off to the specified place.

* * *

 _*At the Haunted Manor*_

 _..._

 _"Hm... Rather delightful place if I do say so myself. A bit too rotten and unstable though,"_ Vaskul murmured as he came across the Haunted Manor. It was quite creepy and ominous for an average person, but for someone as sick and twisted as Vaskul, it was wonderful! _"I can sense the death and corpses... So many! This will make for an excellent base of operations..."_ He cackled as he got closer, noting the small graveyard nearby. It seemed that there were thousands of bodies left there, perhaps this was once a place they sent criminals to be executed and buried?

Out of the corner of his eye, he quickly saw a small girl on the second floor looking at him curiously through a window. Then as soon as he made eye contact, she was gone, _"Strange. Perhaps it was a local ghost?"_ He guessed as he wandered inside.

As soon as he went inside, he was assaulted by a mixture of blood, rot, and decay. It was quite refreshing for him, but the area did need to be cleaned up. Most of the paintings were torn and the wooden flooring seemed to be worn down and dusty while the stone walls were beginning to erode and crack along the corners. The stairs to the second floor were just before him, and there seemed to be some moaning and squeaks from somewhere. Overall, it wasn't anything like his old Crypt, but it would suffice for now.

 _"Rather boring foyer though, absolutely no chairs or tables what-so-ever!"_ Vaskul noted as he began to explore the area. There wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. Maybe there was an occasional doll or skeleton, but there was hardly any undead creatures in the area.

 _"Dear oh dear, were the rumors of a Necromancer wrong?"_ He sighed and came across what seemed to have once been a library. Vaskul was initially excited at the prospect of getting to read some of the local books again, but he found out quickly that most of the books had decayed or were ruined for some reason or another.

While he was wandering, Vaskul eventually heard some groans and saw a vague figure shamble towards him, _"Aha! So there was some truth to those rumors!"_ Vaskul eagerly waited to see what sort of undead he would see. Would it be a Wight? A Ghoul? A Mummy? A Mohrg?

"Uuoo... Human... Fresh meat?" It was a fucking zombie. Out of all the potentially useful constructs, the local necromancer choose _zombies_. But Vaskul digressed. Maybe this one could provide a challenge though. She relatively fresh skin, so maybe this one wasn't too decayed to be only useful for cannon fodder? She even had equipment resembling that of an adventurer, so she could do something. Hopefully.

 _"Hm hm hm... I think I will let you have the first strike,"_ Vaskul said as he unknowingly excluded an overpoweringly negative aura.

"Not... Human?" The Zombie cowered as if awed by Vaskul.

 _"Wait... What?"_ Vaskul blinked. _"...Oh. I forgot my negative aura affects the undead more than living creatures... Damn you Kyous for not teaching me restraint!"_ He cursed his old master, remembering that the old bastard loved to toy with his victims and make them cower in fear and awe. It seemed those bad habits had been passed onto his student as well.

 _"Well you're of no use. Might as well go see if there's anything else..."_ Vaskul glared at the zombified heroine as he stalked off to see more of the household. Eventually he came across even more zombies, but just like the former heroine, they were automatically turned.

 _"Damn. Well with all of these zombies acting as a sort of guard, no none will want to come here. At least I have a new home,"_ Vaskul decided. After all, no self-respecting necromancer would actually _allow_ such weaklings in their lair, right?... Well, it could be a Pale Master, but those tended to have entire armies at their heels.

 _Maybe the Necromancer decided to bail after rumors of this place spread out?_ Vaskul hypothesized. It could be true, after all, there weren't that many undead creatures here, and if it was a new novice starting off, there would at least be a ghoul or an occasional wight for the more talented ones, and it obviously couldn't be a Master or Epic-level Necromancer, because then there would be stronger undead, and Vaskul would sense the presence of a fellow Lich, as most Necromancers usually became Liches at one point or another when they reached that level.

Pretty soon he found a room with three zombies that surprisingly did not get turned immediately. _There's hope for this place yet..._ Vaskul gleefully thought as he motioned for the zombies to try and get him.

Immediately the silver-haired one on the left charged in and tried to tackle Vaskul. Reacting almost instantly, Vaskul dodged and casted **Blaze** at the sluggish corpse. She did not, to Vaskul's surprise, turn instantly to ashes, and countered by kicking wildly at him while the other two tried to grab and restrain him.

Of course, this hardly affected Vaskul at all, but it did help him figure out these zombies were meant to be durable tanks and not much else, as he could observe when slipping past the three's efforts. Clearly the local Necromancer was a novice if they haven't considered making their constructs more skilled and lethal.

This theory was only solidified when Vaskul saw the zombies get tangled up and accidently hit each other instead of him... Vaskul chanted **Blazemore** and watched as the zombies turned to ashes.

"Ah! My experiments!" Cried out a nearby childish voice. Vaskul turned to see a purple-skinned girl with dark and almost clerical or priestly-esque clothing with two violet-red crystals sticking out of her twin-tailed black hair. She looked to be around 12 or 13, but looks could be deceiving.

 _"Who are you?"_ Vaskul asked curiously.

"Wawawa!?" The girl ran away immediately after Vaskul saw her.

 _"Ugh..."_ Vaskul could tell that this girl was probably the local necromancer he heard about. Rolling his eyes, he began to follow the girl, until he eventually found her in the main foyer with yet another zombie sitting beside her, though this one was lanky and much bigger than the ones he saw earlier. With this Zombie by her side, the girl wasn't quite as scared as she was when she was alone. Perhaps this Zombie had some sort of special ability or had been enhanced with magical buffs?

"What's with you?" The Girl demanded, "Why are you going crazy in my laboratory?"

 _"Oh, just heard some rumors. Thought I might drop by to see if I could find something of use. Who are you?"_ Vaskul answered casually, having his attention focused on the large zombie. It seemed that the zombie had also managed to resist his passive aura... Were the ones he saw earlier just beginning experiments?

"My name is Chrome Artiste. I'm a Necromancer," The Girl, Chrome, smirked. "What did you expect to find here though? A bunch of rotten books or paintings?"

 _"Oh no. I was interested in the thought of meeting a fellow Necromancer. I must say that you should devote more time to fixing your lair though, it's falling apart,"_ Vaskul said, surprising Chrome.

"You're... Also a Necromancer?" Chrome eyed him curiously, "I've never met a Human Wizard until now, but I most certainly have never heard of a Human Necromancer before..." She pursed her lips as she thought back to him pacifying her early creations in awe, "Prove it!" She challenged, obviously doubting his claims.

 _"As you wish,"_ Vaskul pointed his finger at a particular place and casted _Create Undead_ , causing that spot to flood with a black goop. The resulting abomination that formed out of the black goop that seeped there was a Ghoul. This particular one had mottled gray skin thinly covering clearly visible bones, and it seemed to be trying to chew on a bone it probably picked up as it travelled there, _"See? I'm clearly a Necromancer."_

"That's a bit..." Chrome looked at the horrific beast, and compared it to her zombies, which were at least a bit attractive and had almost normal skin and flesh while this thing had none, "Disgusting, don't you think?"

 _"What do you expect? It's a Ghoul. Every Ghoul looks like a starved homeless beggar... Because they're often created from such bodies,"_ Vaskul gave her a blank look, _"Why are you even living here anyways? This place is crumbling and falling apart."_

"This place used to be a execution site, then a graveyard," Chrome replied, "The many corpses here give me many chances to reanimate the dead into something even more powerful than a monster!"

Vaskul wanted to order the Ghoul to tear her apart for the pathetic milestone she set for her creations' overall power, but held off the urge. She could still prove useful yet, _"If you wouldn't mind, what level of Necromancer are_ _you?"_ He then asked, curious as to how competent she was in magic.

"Level? What are you talking about?" Chrome looked at him strangely, why was he saying something about levels?

 _"You know... Levels. The system that helps determine how skilled and powerful a magic user is... And the same system that helps determine just about everything else as well,"_ Vaskul said plainly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Chrome gave him a weirded out look, as if she was both lost and interested as to what Vaskul was doing here and what he was talking about.

 _"Can you create undead like I just did?"_ Vaskul said a bit more vaguely. If she said yes, then he would know she was at least 6th Level or higher, if not, then she was either lower in skill or just simply had no idea how to properly use magic.

"Um... No. How did you do that anyways?" She inquired.

 _"I used Create Undead. It's a simple Necromancy spell. Haven't you heard of it before?"_ Vaskul began to think of various ways this girl could be of use. She could be a proxy... She could be an assistant... But how could he get this girl to help him? She didn't seem like the type to just go and help someone unless there was something in it for her.

"I've never heard of it. Even during my time in the Maou's Castle, when my family wasn't disgraced by that insufferable queen, I've never heard of a way to just make like _that_ out of pure magic." Chrome looked a bit distressed at the way this was turning out. She was supposed to be the one in control here! How could this man possibly make something like that _thing_ and so casually call it a simple spell!

 _"Really?"_ Vaskul felt a twinge of pity for her. His dick of a master Kyous didn't teach him about that spell either, telling him that "He was supposed to learn about it in independent studies." _Damn, Kyous was a excellent teacher overall and I had so much fun with him, but he was certainly a dick when it came to actually teaching me spells,_ he bitterly thought. Suddenly, as if the memory of his bastard teacher had inspired him, Vaskul came up with how he could lure this girl into his service.

 _"Perhaps I might teach you the spell..."_ Vaskul subtly offered.

"Really?" Chrome perked up at the offer.

 _"Yes... But for a price, obviously,"_ Vaskul mentally laughed in triumph when he saw the girl's eyes. She had that look that said she would do anything for knowledge... _Ohoho, quite an inquisitive child. She could make for an excellent necromancer if she gets the right resources. Perhaps even replace me once I ascend up with the Secret of Evolution and become an Overdeity,_ He thought.

"Name it!" She shouted.

 _"Well, I have been needing a new house to rest in with a large source of corpses nearby ... And there's plenty of room in this house. I presume you know what I'm getting at?"_ He offered.

"... You'll need something more than that to just suddenly move in you know," she deadpanned, "Maybe something more?" she bargained.

 _Gotcha!_ Vaskul thought in triumph.

 _"Hm... Yes, I suppose I could adopt an apprentice to pass some of my skills and knowledge to. But I will warn you the time and patience required to learn all of the common Necromancy trade is more than 'difficult' to say the least,"_ Vaskul stated.

Chrome for a moment seemed to take offense to the thought of being called an "Apprentice," but quickly shrugged it off as she realized just how much she could learn from this man... She just needed one last prove of his so-called "Skill."

"Alright... Prove to me that you are better than me. Better enough that I really should be called an 'apprentice.'"

In response, Vaskul tore off his face, revealing his jeweled skull, _"Isn't the fact that I'm a lich more than enough to persuade you that I am better than you?"_ He teased.

"Eeek!" Chrome flinched at how easily he tore off his own face, but regained her composure soon after. She thought intensely at his statement. Lich... Wasn't that the legendary pinnacle of Necromancy? Lichdom was supposedly a lost art that allowed the user to store their soul somewhere safe, and walk the earth as an undead wizard. She and her sister Shirome had for the most part dismissed the thought of such a spell... But this man right here had shattered several fundamental rules to what Necromancy should be... She got a vicious glint in her eyes. Her pride could take some damage... Learning something her sister never could was worth _anything_.

"Hehe... I suppose I will let you stay her for now in exchange for what you know..." She said, accepting the offer.

 _"Good, good,"_ Vaskul recasted _Create Undead_ several times, creating about five differing skeletons, _"You five, get some supplies and repair this place before it falls apart,"_ He ordered, sending the five off.

"Why did you just create a bunch of skeletons and order them to get materials and repair this place?" Chrome questioned.

 _"Because this place will eventually fall apart if someone doesn't fix it,"_ Vaskul answered, _"Moving on, I would like to know what you can do Chrome, and what your best creation is."_

At this Chrome gleamed with pride, "My best creation is right in front of you!" She excitedly said, motioning at the large zombie. "This girl, the daughter of the previous landowner, is an extraordinarily good subject."

 _"Okay... But why is she sitting on the ground? I thought most zombies just stand around when idle,"_ Vaskul asked, coming closer to inspect the zombie.

"I don't know actually. No matter what I do, Frederika always seems to prefer sitting on the ground unless she has to stand up and actively do something." Chrome admitted while Vaskul traced various bones and wrappings on the large zombie. [1]

 _"Hm... Good preservation. The various wrappings help keep the flesh from decomposing and getting loose... Arms appear to be fairly intact and strong. Skull is not fractured, and her neck isn't_ _broken... Though she is severely underweight for a flesh golem or patchwork zombie,"_ Vaskul pondered as to why this zombie seemed to prefer sitting down. Eventually however, he poked her hip bone and found the place he prodded caved in rather easily.

 _"I see her problem. Her pelvis is unstable and most likely broken, and seeing how large she is, I suspect the pressure her legs put on her subpar hips would inevitably cripple her unless she sits down and places her legs somewhere where they don't constantly grind against her hip bone. Perhaps replacing the pelvis and placing some new cartilage will allow her to stand up_ _constantly,"_ Vaskul noted, _"Overall, she is an excellent zombie, but ultimately she's nothing compared to higher levels of undead."_

"Really? I've never considered the possibility of her needing a new bone, and even then I don't have a pelvis that could fit her..." Chrome mused.

 _"Why do you need a natural bone when you can just make operate on her and get a basic idea of how many bones you need to melt in order to make a proportionately sized hip, or just make one from other materials?"_ Vaskul asked.

"... Oh." Chrome looked at Frederika, "Come along, we need to operate on you."

"Understood... Master," The Zombie slowly acknowledged as she got up and shambled along with her master.

...

 _"I presume this is where you operate on your test subjects?"_ Vaskul inquired as the three came to a room with an operating table and several tools, including a saw, a hypodermic needle, a small sickle, and various other medical supplies.

"Yes. I mostly use it to make it easier to preserve bodies for future experiments," Chrome responded as she led Frederika onto the table.

Due to Frederika's freakishly large form, she could only rest the lower half of her body on the table while the upper half of her dangled off the side of the table. "Eh. She'll be fine," Chrome reasoned as she got her incision knife out.

 _"I'll be watching. If you need any help extracting the hip bone, just say so. Or don't. I'll help anyways,"_ Vaskul said as he leaned on the wall, watching.

The procedure was relatively simple. Chrome cut open Frederika, and pushed Frederika's reproductive and urinary glands and organs away. "Not like she can use them anyway," Chrome said as she began to tug on Frederika's pelvis.

Confused as to why it wasn't just coming off, Chrome jerked on it until Vaskul stopped her. _"It's probably her sacrum. It might still be connected,"_ he warned. Nodding in understanding, Chrome gently turned Frederika onto her side and began to cut open the small of her back. When she was done adjusting the base of her spine, Chrome just pulled ever lightly on Frederika's spine and the Sacrum came off of her hips easily. [2]

"... Is anatomy going to be a part of the lessons?" Chrome asked hesitantly.

 _"Obviously. What kind of Necromancer would you be if you can't tell the difference between a ulna and a radius?"_ Vaskul deadpanned. [3]

Chrome groaned. Vaskul had a short flashback to how Luka acted a bit similarly whenever Vaskul taught him psychology and underhanded fighting. _I guess there's always that one thing every student hates..._ Vaskul dismissed it, eventually his new student will learn how even a little bit of knowledge in basic anatomy can go far for repairing or constructing various undead beings.

After a bit more of pulling, Chrome managed to safely remove Frederika's pelvis. "Huh. You were right, it is horribly damaged!" Chrome noted, seeing parts had been fractured or outright broken in various places. "Why didn't you say anything Frederika?"

"Master... Never... Asked." Frederika answered.

A small silence passed, with Vaskul silently snickering at Chrome and Frederika.

 _"You might want to consider spending more time on giving your creations common sense,"_ Vaskul commented, secretly laughing at the flustered Chrome while he ripped open a portal to his _Genesis_ world to get a replacement. Maybe an Ogre pelvis would work? It might be too thick. Or perhaps a Troll? Those seemed to be fairly stable.

"Ugh... Idiot." Chrome gave up on punishing Frederika and looked at Vaskul, who was currently randomly pulling out various Hip Bones from a rip in reality, "What are you even doing?"

 _"Trying to find something that would be able to support her. This isn't my first time making a Flesh Golem you know,"_ Vaskul replied, eventually managing to pull out an Ogre's Pelvis. It was almost like Frederika's, though it was in much better condition. _"Here,"_ Vaskul tossed the cartilaged bone to Chrome, who caught it with ease. _"Since this is technically your first lesson as my student, I'll be kind and give you something to make both of our lives easier. I'll be in the Foyer supervising the skeletons if you need me again,"_ He said as he began to walk off, slightly concerned about the fact he hadn't heard a single crash the entire time he watched his new apprentice operate on the Flesh Golem.

"Oh! Thanks, I guess?" Chrome still felt a bit conflicted about being called a "Student," or an "Apprentice." It just didn't sit well with her pride as an Artiste Necromancer. She managed to place the pelvis in place and reattach the sacrum, and decided to put the Urinary and Reproductive organs back in their original place as well.

"Now to stitch you up..." Chrome grabbed her sewing needle and easily stitched Frederika up. "Now... Get up," She commanded.

"I... Obey," Frederika got up without a single hitch.

"Do you feel different?" Chrome questioned.

"I... Feel... Better?" Frederika answered.

"Do you feel like you can always stand up?" Chrome said a bit more sharply.

"Yes," Came the simple answer.

"Good, good," Chrome silently screamed in frustration. Obviously this "Vaskul" was far more experienced and patient than her, and even had the guts to offer her a place as his apprentice for something as simple as staying here! In a place she didn't even (legally) own!

 _I wonder what Shirome would think of him..._ She mused as she began to walk out to the foyer to talk to Vaskul.

There, the two continued to talk and exchange their experiences and knowledge on Necromancy, and solidified Chrome's place as Vaskul's apprentice.

"So... I guess I'm your student now?" Chrome said uncertainly.

 _"Yes. While you learn from me, I will provide books and spells for you to learn Necromancy while you help me in minor things, such as collecting bones or telling me certain things about this world I might not know of,"_ Vaskul stated. He left off the part about how he might sneak in other schools of magic or force her to actually train and condition herself physically to ensure she didn't become too reliant on Necromancy, as that might be her downfall.

"Okay..." Chrome didn't seem too happy about the thought, but went along with it to learn how to make undead creatures like the Ghoul she saw earlier, "Oh, and by the way..."

 _"Yes?"_ Vaskul said.

"Where did your Ghoul go? I swear it was just sitting here when we left..." She questioned, looking around for the freak.

 _"Um..."_ Vaskul looked around as well.

 _Shit, did that thing wander off? I probably should've told it to specifically stay..._ Vaskul's train of thought was interrupted by the five skeletons he ordered to repair the place earlier being led by said Ghoul to stabilize and repair the building. _"There it is. I guess it might've thought I was ordering it to fix this place as well somehow."_ He told Chrome, who sighed in relief.

...

It was relatively easy getting Chrome to understand how to cast Level 3 Faerunic Spells and Basic Zenithian Magic. [4]

The Magical theory and equations of this world were thankfully near identical to Faerun's, and Chrome had an abnormally large desire to learn more about magic and how to use it like Vaskul did. Soon enough she'll be well-versed enough in magic to try out that _Create Undead_ she so dearly wanted to cast for some reason.

The Skeletons and Ghoul had also managed to rebuild the house as well, so now everyone could walk around without having to risk falling though the floor. It seemed that the windows were fixed as well, so now Vaskul could sleep easier knowing someone wouldn't just jump in through there. Inevitably, Vaskul decided to begin teaching Chrome about Satanic Magic as well, and made sure to supervise her whenever she tried to bargain for a secret with a devil or demon.

Eventually, a Ghost Girl had randomly moved in and just stayed there for some reason. Chrome didn't exactly like the Ghost, but Vaskul simply dismissed it as another undead wandering the halls of the Manor. Not a big deal.

Years passed, and Vaskul decided to revisit San Ilia to see if anything had occurred while he was stuck teaching his student and failing to find the Secret of Evolution. _"Chrome? I'll be visiting San Ilia for a few days. Try not to burn down the Mansion or attempt something stupid while I'm gone,"_ Vaskul told Chrome as he prepared for his trip.

"Okay. But what would you even need at San Ilia though?" Chrome questioned, not looking up once from her book.

 _"Not much. I'm just going to see if any interesting rumors or events have happened while we were practicing. It's very easy to miss something major, such as a war or genocide if we get too involved in our studies,"_ Vaskul answered as he finished packing trivial items he could probably sell during his trip, _"I'll see you later!"_

"See you later!" Chrome said.

* * *

 _*Luka & Alice POV; San Ilia*_

 _..._

Luka and Alice had recently made it to Sentora and were just now arriving to San Ilia. Luka, being (blindly) faithful to Ilias, was determined to meet the San Ilian King Peter the 14th and see if the King had any advice for his journey despite Alice pointing out the obvious error in that Luka was not baptized. Nonetheless, Luka wanted to at least try to meet the King and learn something.

The two easily found the massive cathedral/castle hybrid and received the form from one of the guards required to meet the King. Luka sighed in relief as he found there was no checkbox asking if he was baptized or not, and filled out the rest of paper with no issue and handed it back to the guard.

"Thank you. The King wants to meet all brave heroes, but since there are so many it may take almost three days for you to be able to have an audience with him. So please, take your time and stay at the castle. You can stay here as long as you need and you can sleep here for free, and feel free to explore the places that are not off-limits." The Guard said kindly.

"Thanks!" Luka said, "Come on Alice, we should get inside."

"...Hmph..." Alice didn't seem too enthusiastic about going inside the Temple, and for good reason.

Luka was amazed by the architecture inside the castle. It was amazing! There were various ancient artworks depicting Ilias and her angels, and the various quotes and historic events that had transpired over the years were written on golden tablets.

Alice on the other hand was a bit bored and annoyed at how big Ilias' ego was.

The two were traveling through the halls with Luka boring Alice with a speech about Ilias' Faith until they came to the Golden Statue of Ilias, where Luka saw a somewhat familiar shape standing near it.

"Vaskul?... Is that you?" Luka blinked, almost startled by seeing his old instructor standing around, taking notes of various things. He hasn't changed a bit!

 _"Hm?..._ Oh! Luka! How wonderful to see you again! How long has it been?... Eight years? Ten? More? I don't know, but it's certainly nice to see you again!" The Old Wizard chuckled with amusement at seeing his old student. "And who's this? A friend of yours?" He asked, looking at Alice with an amused grin, as if he recognized her from somewhere...

"Yeah, she is. I've been training everyday since you left, and eventually I set out to become a Hero, just like you!" Luka proudly stated.

"Hero? Ohohoho! You flatter me!" He laughed, "I'm only a wandering Wizard, looking to learn and maybe do a bit of good here and there. But enough of this boring old man's antics! How have you been doing?"

"I've been great! I managed to do so much within Ilias Continent!" Luka said, "I brought some bandits to justice, drove away the cause of the storms between Ilias Continent and Sentora, I even managed to bring two villages together, just like my dream of coexistence!"

"Mind you that the bandits were kids, and Alma was just screwing around with you," Alice snipped, being mindful to remind Luka of how his "Achievements" weren't that great in the grand scheme of things.

"Hoho... Quite quick to stomp on your companion's throat, aren't you Alice?" Vaskul dismissed her truth, "Start small, and then get bigger and bigger until you reach your goal, just like I taught you, eh?"

"Yep! Just like you taught me!" Luka nodded.

"What? You taught him?" Alice lost her cocky attitude from surprise.

"Indeed I did! Taught the boy everything he knows, so he wouldn't flail around like a fish on land!" Vaskul said, not even giving off a single hint of a lie.

 _So that's why Luka was so unnaturally skilled for his age, yet lack real power or special techniques... I'll have to be careful around this one,_ Alice noted mentally, somewhat uneased by this man's presence for some reason, "Huh, nice. You saved me a lot of work teaching him. Why are you here though?" She said aloud.

"Yeah, why are you here? You never really struck me as the person to be devoted to Ilias," Luka agreed.

"Ah, I'm just here to learn more about the Primal Elem- Goddess' Faith. I spent most of my life learning about magic you see, and I heard this place had a large library," Vaskul excused, stuttering when he almost said "Elemental." Alice took note of this choice in wording, hardly anyone, even Alice the First, would actually be brave enough to provoke Ilias like that... And why did he say "Primal" before that?

"Oh. I see, that's nice. You're gonna have to wait a while though, because even the staff around here have to wait about a week at best to get access there from what I've heard," Luka didn't seem too surprised by this excuse. Vaskul was always interested in learning about certain things.

"Really? Feh, I can wait. It's not that big of a deal," Vaskul shrugged as he saw a figure come near.

A Guard Captain with a red ornament came up to the three, "Hey, is a Mr. Luka here?" He asked, "A Luka that applied to have an audience with the King?"

"Yes... I'm Luka," Luka said, a bit scared that they may have found out he wasn't baptized.

"Hmm... So it's you? The King will meet you right away," The Captain informed.

Luka's answer was only a simple "Eh?" as he was pushed quickly into the Audience Hall with Alice, "I- I guess we'll catch up later?" He hestitantly said to Vaskul.

"See you later Luka!" Vaskul chuckled lightly and turned away to study more on Ilias and her faith.

When he arrived, Luka saw the King. The King quite frankly looked more like a Wise Sage than a Sovereign.

"I've brought him sir," The Captain stated as he presented Luka to the King.

"I see. Thank you, you're dismissed, we shall have a private talk," The King said kindly to the Captain and had him leave. "Traveler that calls himself Luka... I wish to ask you a question."

"Eh? Um- Of course, please ask," Luka fumbled in confusion. Why did the King want him here so early?

"You... Are not baptized, are you?" The King said.

"Erm... No. I'm afraid I'm not," Luka honestly said, at this truth, the King's eyes widen. "I'm sorry!" Luka quickly said.

"Oh! So it really is as Ilias revealed to me in my dreams!" The San Ilian King excitedly said, confusing Luka even more. Deciding to ease Luka, the King began to explain, "Last night, Ilias came to me in a dream in all of her glory and gave me a revelation. A revelation that claimed an unbaptized hero named Luka would come before me, and that Hero was destined to slay the Maou."

"I will?" Luka was certain that he could defeat the Monster Lord if he trained hard enough, Vaskul certainly made sure to hammer in the fact that anyone can be killed, but he wasn't sure if it was outright fated for him to beat Alice one-on-one...

"Yes, and now I shall play my part in your journey and give you the next part in your quest," The King said, "There are three wise men on this continent. You will need to find them and demonstrate your power, skill, and mind to all of them and receive their blessings. Then, I will be allowed to bestow upon you the full power of this blade..." The King walks over to a display nearby his throne case and brings out a magnificent sword. Dazzlingly brilliant, the Sword gave off a radiant light.

"The Sword of a True Hero... The same sword fabled to have banished the Dark Drium Nokturnus from Sabasa... A Sword made from the fabled material Orichalcum, bestowed upon us by Ilias herself!... The Goddess's Sword! If you wield this sword at its full potential... Then even the Maou will be unable to stop you and will be forced to bow before you," The King prophetically said, though Luka doubted this. Alice seemed calm enough. Maybe it was because the sword wasn't fully powered? Maybe Vaskul knew something about it. He knew all sorts of things no one should know.

"Now, begin your quest to get proof from the wise men, then I can bestow this primordial weapon upon you," The King finished.

"What a stupid quest," Alice says as she walks up to the sword and the King.

"Alice! What are you doing!" Luka protests.

"Fah!" With a large amount of effort, Alice breaks the Goddess's Sword into two pieces!

"H- How can this be! Ilias herself told me that this weapon..." The King stares in horror as he looks at the broken blade.

"As you can clearly see Luka, your blade is still better for you now... The sword may have once been unbelievably powerful, but now it's just a shiny piece of junk," Alice lectured, "Three Wise Men? Proof of your power? What a load of crap from this 'King.'"

"A- Ah... The Blade that banished Nokturnus itself... The blade that was passed down for generations-..." The King's face gets unusually pale and he begins to twitch as his mouth stays agape while he stares blankly at the blade.

"I'll show you the Hero's Way instead of this worthless King. Instead of seeking out these three 'Wise' Men, go to the Four Spirits instead, and ask for their blessing," Alice said normally, as if she was simply correcting a child.

"Four Spirits?" Luka said with uncertainty.

"They're Salamander, Sylph, Undine, and Gnome. They should all be somewhere on this continent. Go to them and ask for their blessing," Alice elaborated, "And no, I don't know where they are."

"Wh- What happens if I ask for their blessing?" Luka asked.

"You get a mighty power and technique from each of them," Alice smiled warmly, glad that Luka wasn't currently focused on the fact she just broke the sword.

"...Really?... And why are you telling me this?" Luka further asked, even more confused now that he remembered that Alice was the Monster Lord, and it struck him as "weird" that the Maou herself would guide a Hero to either Kill or just generally beat her up.

"If you're doubtful, then I suppose you can do what this puppet asked you and look for these 'Wise' Men, even though you can quite clearly see that the Goddess's Sword is broken," Alice sarcastically replies.

"Err..." Luka sighed, "You're right. I'll go and look for these Spirits instead," When Luka finished that sentence, strange laughter started to ring out.

"Fehehehhaahaha! Ilias! Look what happened! Heeheheheheha!" The King raved.

"... Did you just snap?" Alice questioned, oblivious to the fact that her rash action of breaking the blade caused immense psychological damage to him.

Apparently hearing the commotion, the Captain of the Guards ran in to see what was going on. "My Lord! What happened to you!? What happened here!? Oh god, the Goddess's Sword is shattered!" The Captain leaped to assist his mad King, "Luka, what the hell happened here!?"

"Uhm... The Monster Lord suddenly appeared and attacked. She went away, but uh... She broke the sword." Luka mumbled, ignoring Alice's scoff at his attempt to twist the truth.

"The Monster Lord did!? Indeed, no other being would be able to shatter that sword..." The Captain said.

* * *

 _*... Somewhere...*_

The Ghost of Zoma was drifting around doing nothing when he suddenly sneezed for no reason...

 _"Hm. Someone must be talking about me... Maybe it's that brat Rubiss denying the fact I broke the Sword of Kings when she couldn't? Probably... Damn, that Orichalcum was hard to break..."_ Zoma mused as he drifted around. _"God, this is boring... But for now, supervising Baramos' descendent will do just fine..."_

* * *

 _*Luka POV; San Ilia*_

 _..._

"We need to increase Castle Defenses immediately!" The Captain announced as the place quickly devolves into a chaotic scene. Luka and Alice quickly ran off amidst the chaos while shouts of the Maou attacking or demands for reinforcements were being sent left and right.

"Alice, did you really have to break the sword? Because of that I think you broke the King too..." Luka complained when the two were far away from the commotion.

"Hrm. He was speaking such gibberish that I had to wake him up," Alice answered with a calm face.

"Ugh... We'll have to get out soon if this keeps up," Luka groaned as the place got more and more chaotic.

"Luka! Alice! What in Death's Name is going on here!?" A familiar voice rang out.

"Oh great... Vaskul!" Luka didn't want Vaskul to figure out Alice was the Monster Lord yet... That could have some very bad consequences, "I was just meeting the King when the Maou attacked and shattered the Goddess' Sword!" He said vaguely.

"Really now? That would explain this situation..." Vaskul's eyebrows furrowed, "Is she still here?"

"No... She left once she was done," Technically that wasn't a lie, Luka reasoned, he and Alice did leave once she broke the sword.

"Did you get a good look at her? Maybe a feel for how strong she was?" Vaskul further interrogated.

"She did resemble a lamia... And the presence she had was intensely powerful, like the ground around her was shaking," Luka ignored Alice's scoff.

"Damn. I was hoping for something interesting... Oh well. This'll all pass by soon enough," Vaskul shrugged as he gave up when Luka said the final details, "Well, no need for me to get all worked up! I suppose I'll see ya around sometime! Keep in touch! Try not to get raped!" He cheerfully said as he began to walk away.

He only got a few steps before a loud crash resonated around the area...

* * *

 _*Vaskul POV; Nearby Alice & Luka...*_

 _..._

 _Oh God damn it..._ He cursed mentally as he turned to see what was going on. He saw the guards cry out something about a "Granberia," and "Heavenly Knight" before they all began to faint. He began to see clearly along with Luka and Alice, and saw a Dragonkin standing there, arms crossed. She had red hair, yellow eyes, and wore well-forged armor with a long blue cape. She had a rather basic, but sturdy, Greatsword by her side.

"Granberia!" Luka cried out from behind Vaskul, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh? You've certainly changed since we've met. Good, I had hoped you wouldn't lose any hope or get lazy after our first fight in Iliasburg," Granberia smirked. Her presence was still as powerful as before to Luka, though to Vaskul, she seemed to just be a very strong warrior... for this world.

"So you came to attack San Ilia this time?" Luka guessed as he thought of a strategy to approach Granberia with, he couldn't just attack her as he is now.

"Don't joke around, what use is there in attacking a castle in the middle of nowhere?" Granberia said.

"Getting cash? Killing? Getting experience? Practice? Shits and giggles?" Vaskul offered, but no one listened, or really cared for that matter.

"I came here to cross swords with you!" She roared, pointing at Luka.

"M-me!? You want to fight me!?" Luka and Vaskul looked dumbstruck.

 _Why would she want to fight someone as weak as him?_ Vaskul thought idly. Sure, he trained Luka and knew that Luka was skilled in swordsmanship, perhaps bordering on being one of the best in this world, but he quite frankly didn't have the power to back it up at all. He had the reflexes, the accuracy, the cool temper, and smarts to outmaneuver beings much stronger than him, and of course, he could always slit the enemy's throat or stab through their eyes to kill them that way, but in a straight-up, one-on-one fight, he had no chance. He was simply too slow and physically weak right now.

"I wanted to see if the others were exaggerating your abilities... I'll confirm it with my sword," she stated, "Though... That one seems to be unnaturally stronger as well... Is he a friend of yours?" She looked at Vaskul.

"Oh, him? He's my old teacher," Luka said.

"Your teacher? That would explain why you're so skilled for your age... Now then, let's have a match!" she shouted, raising her greatsword.

Luka drew Angel Halo and began to reluctantly advance onto her for a hopeless fight before being stopped by Vaskul.

 _"Hold up there, my disciple. She seems strong... I want to fight her first!"_ Vaskul excitedly said. So this little trip of his did pay off afterall... He was practically _dying_ of boredom during the years he spent teaching Chrome!

"But she's way stronger than you! You'll lose!" Luka protested, trying to get his teacher to reconsider.

 _"Of all people to doubt, you underestimate your old master? You should know better than anyone else how strong I can be..."_ Vaskul shot back at Luka, continuing to walk to Granberia.

"Hm? You want to fight first? Fine then, I was curious who was skilled and strong enough to get Luka to where he was. Let us fight!" Granberia lunged at Vaskul.

Vaskul dodged and casted **Blazemore**. The flames proved to be ineffective though, as they just faded against Granberia.

"A Wizard?... How strange. I expected you to be a swordsman," Granberia duly noted as she brushed aside the flames.

 _"Yes, I used to be a swordsman... But those days have long since passed,"_ Vaskul chanted **Kazapple** and a large stream of lightning came forth at Granberia! _"I've found magic to be far more... Wondrous. Though, I do still possess skills and techniques from my days a knight, distant as they may be..."_

"Gah!" Granberia flinched from the high amounts of lightning and clenched her teeth. "I've heard from Tamamo that Wizards were hard bastards to beat, but I didn't think it'd be this difficult!" she choose to stay at a distance for now and breathed a large stream of flames.

Thinking quickly, Vaskul casted **Insulate** and braced himself for the flames. When they passed, Vaskul was suffering from a few second-degree burns, but nothing more too serious.

"Impressive... Truly impressive. No wonder why so many monsters are afraid of fighting any type of Magician with that kind of defense," Granberia muttered as she jumped from side to side to avoid the icicles Vaskul was throwing at her. "But they should be weak in close quarters if Tamamo was right..." Granberia glanced at her assailant and saw that he was probably blind from the fog and mist he created from those icicles... She took a chance and jumped high to perform Demon Skull Beheading on her blinded foe.

Vaskul was trying to land a hit on Granberia again when he saw her outline vanish... _"What? Where'd she..."_ He heard something heavy falling quite close by, and turned to look to see the Dragonkin with her sword posed to cleave him in half. _"SHI_ _-!..."_ Vaskul was cut off by the Knight evenly chopping him on the collarbone.

It, surprisingly to Granberia and anyone watching, only knocked him down, though he silently admitted to himself it did hurt quite a bit. _"Daughter of a..."_ Vaskul gritted his teeth as he looked around for Granberia.

"Looking for me?" said the Dragonkin behind him.

 _"Yes."_ Vaskul wasted no time in delivering a simple back kick to her and leaping away. _"I must say... You're quite strong. You certainly lasted longer than the Dragon I met years ago..."_ He prepared **Kaswoosh** and watched as she skillfully weaved her way through the tornados.

"You've met a Dragon before and lived?" Granberia questioned, interested to see where he was going.

 _"Indeed. She fought long and hard, but alas! She, like many before her and many after, was not ready to face me. She died slowly and painfully as she wept for some berry-looking brat... I threw the brat down a pit into the Gold Volcano and went on my way... I don't know if the little berry survived or not. Can't say the Mother didn't deserve it though. Bitch tried to fucking rape and then devour me!"_ Vaskul recalled.

 _Wait... Gold Volcano? Dragoness... Berry? Threw a child into-_ Granberia was overwhelmed by sudden memories... She remembered now, very vaguely... She recalled someone quite similar to Vaskul in appearance long ago, though he was mostly skeletal at that point... And she recalled him gleefully dropping her down Gold Volcano as well, and the scar that ran from the base of her neck all the way up to her scalp, even if it was usually covered up with her hair.

And... if he was honest in that her mother tried to murder him... Then, she couldn't fault him... What disgusted and outraged her was how much he didn't care about _throwing a child to their death..._ It just served her to remind her of what she usually saw in the "heroes" of Ilias, and-...

One memory led to another, and fairly soon Granberia was far too furious to think straight at the moment, and lunged at the Wizard in a fury.

 _"Whoa!"_ Vaskul managed to sidestep her sudden move, _"Nearly got me that time! That could've actually hurt a lot more than... Oh, you seem a little bit angry. Are you okay?"_

"You... Don't remember me?" Granberia hissed, "Perhaps when you're about to die you'll put one and two together..." she hissed at him while she tried to slice him at every angle possible... But he would always be a bit off, just a few inches away, or she would stab a loose piece of fabric.

 _"Is that so?... Just like a dragon to boast about things they can't possibly hope to pull off. Nice to see the mental retardation dragons suffer from isn't exclusive to Faerun and Nadiria!"_ Vaskul joked, recalling that most Dragons he met had some sort of stupidity to them in some way, shape, or form. It was commonly either a bad sense of humor, idiocy, a massive amount of pride and ego, or a mix of all three. He didn't seem too bothered by the furious Granberia either, as her being blinded by rage made it easier to dodge her attacks, no matter how frequent they might've been.

Suddenly the Dragonkin's Greatsword's hilt cracked from sheer pressure, and flames began to course all over it. She appeared to be seething as she summoned Salamander. "I will make sure you die here today..."

 _"You'll die trying,"_ came the snarky response.

Losing her patience, Granberia used Purgatory Flames and Vaporizing Rebellion Sword!

 _"Aw, how flashy, the overgrown lizard can play with fire-... OH SHIT!"_ Vaskul shrieked as she unexpectedly began to use her flames to burn him and slice at him at the same time. Lacerations and Third-Degree Burns began to appear all over his puppet body, until he raised both of his pointer and middle fingers to emit an Icy Pulse! [5]

The Pulse managed to dispel all magic in the nearby area, even Alice's disguise!

Alice yelped in brief shock, before quickly recasting her polymorph and watching the fight with renewed interest.

"Wh- What?... Salamander's power... It's gone?" Granberia blinked in confusion, Salamander left far too early! "What did you do!?" She demanded from Vaskul.

 _"Ju- Just... Dispelled all the magic in the area... It seems I was right. Your sudden power was magical in nature."_ Vaskul scoffed as he casted **Fullheal** , recovering from all of the damage Granberia had done. _"Even then, you were lucky. Not many catch me by surprise... And fewer still beat me in combat. Had I not been caught by surprise with your little power-boost, that pathetic sword and the equally meager strength swinging it around would not have injured and burned me as easily. I'll admit though, compared to most of this world's warriors I've face, you may be powerful... But!..."_ Vaskul lifted his Ivory Staff, and slammed it on the ground.

 _ **"You are not ready."**_ With that bold threat, Vaskul raised his right arm and threw a ball of condensed energy and chanted **Kaboom**! The resulting chain of explosions rocked the castle and threw Granberia far off into the rubble. Not letting up, Vaskul chanted **Kazapple** and **Kacrackle** , watching in satisfaction as he heard a faint outcry of pain among the loud crashes and crackles of thunder and ice.

Granberia managed to get up with some effort, she was gasping for breath. "So you were holding back..." She hissed in between breaths. Her mind was rapidly trying to come up with a plan, and thought about what she saw so far.

She couldn't do much to him with her flame breath, for he seemed to be capable of shrugging off and recovering from most attacks, and even when she managed to nearly kill or at least subdue him with the Four Spirits, he managed to dispel them and then use magic to recover yet again... This felt like the time when she couldn't fight Tamamo because of the kitsune's sheer durability and brute force... But this time it was against the man who ruined her childhood, and someone she could definitely assume was a killer.

Fuelled by anger for the wizard, she managed to take one last leap and tried to tackle him, but he was quick enough to move out of the way. _How? It's as if he has Undine or Sylph with him at all times!_ She thought, using the last of her physical strength to use Death Sword Chaos Star, but he just jumped back out of range.

 _How can I possibly attack him...? I was at my strongest when I inflicted those wounds, yet he still had the strength to dispel the Four Spirits, and then he still managed to heal himself!_ Granberia grit her teeth in hatred towards the Wizard. _He's right. I'm not ready to face him yet... Maybe Tamamo will have a clue as to how to fight a wizard... For now, it'd be best to retreat and live to fight another day._

"We'll fight later, Luka," she simply warned Luka before teleporting away.

"W- Wow... You managed to beat Granberia!" Luka said in awe. Apparently neither he nor Alice were close enough to see or hear about Granberia's hatred towards his mentor.

 _"In_ deed I have Luka! I told you not to underestimate me!" Vaskul heartily laughed, using his false voice once more as he dusted some rubble and dirt off of his robes.

"I have to admit, you have some guts, and even more power, to fight a Heavenly Knight one-on-one and still manage to outright beat them," Alice conceded. She wouldn't antagonize him too much yet. She was lucky he nor anyone else saw her true form when he unleashed that disruptive wave. "I didn't think a Wizard could be so strong."

"Ho ho... You should not underestimate Wizards, Alice. Back where I'm from, some wizards were strong enough to rain meteors from the sky, and rip reality itself asunder!" Vaskul jested, knowing fully that he could've done the exact same thing to swiftly crush Granberia and anyone else nearby... But where's the fun in that?

"Really now? I'm sure that's quite a sight!" Alice laughed, but was secretly a bit frightened by the thought of someone being that ridiculously strong... Certainly a good thing Wizards were a rarity in the world... But where did this man come from? About the most obscure place Alice could name right now was Yamatai, and even then there were no rumors or tales of human wizards or magicians being in abundance there...

"Uuu... Wha- What happened? Did the Hero chase the Heavenly Knight away?" The Guards now seemed to be waking up... How convenient.

"Yes, the Heavenly Knight Granberia has fled! Now, she was holding back a bit as some of you might've been able to see... And if she was a mere servant to the Maou, then our Hero here needs to learn how to defeat her easily so that he can have a chance at facing the Maou! So I ask, may we be let into the Library so that our noble Hero can continue his quest? Especially since the Pope is... Preoccupied." Vaskul asked nicely, deciding to shove the responsibility of having to deal with the fame and idiot challengers that would surely come after he beat this "Heavenly Knight" off onto Luka to handle and perhaps get some practice off of.

"Oh, erm... Yes? I mean, Yes! Of course, we'll make an exception for you three this time to get into the Library..." The drowsy Captain said slowly.

"Um..." Luka seemed at a loss for words, why did Vaskul suddenly pin the deed of beating Granberia on him? "Thanks?" He said uncertainly as Vaskul dragged him and Alice to the Library.

...

"Uwah! It's massive!" Luka gasped as he looked at the huge expanse of books the stretched as far as the eye can see.

"... Meh. Nowhere near the size of an Aboleth or Beholder's library..." Vaskul muttered under his breath. "Hm? Alice, why are you acting like there's something putrid here?" He questioned, looking at Alice sniffing the area around them.

"I smell some monsters here... No, not monsters as in the ones that actively wander around, you idiot." Alice cut Luka off before he could ask, "I mean ones that possess something... Like a book or something," She added when Vaskul gave her a questioning look.

"Hmm... A sharp sense of smell that can sniff out Monsters hiding in books? A curious trait for a human..." Vaskul stared at Alice, but then promptly dismissed it. It didn't really matter to him at the moment. "Well! I've done my part, now you two can go on and do yours!" He cheerfully waved goodbye as he wandered off to read some books.

Vaskul was deep into some various tactics and history on the Monster Wars when he faintly heard a "Wah! A Monster came out!" In the distance... _Eh..._ _He'll be fine._ Vaskul dismissed it and carried on studying and reading.

Later, Alice came up to him with a... potato? "Hm? What is it?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you could just cook this with some of your magic." Alice shrugged as Vaskul gave another weird look, "Would you rather me use the books to make a bonfire?" she then said.

... An awkward moment of silence passed as Vaskul just stared at her, wondering why the hell she was eating in a place people _read_ at...

"... Oh fine. Hold still." Vaskul pointed his finger and chanted **Blaze**. Soon the potato was cooked enough for Alice's liking.

"Thank you!" she cheerfully said as she wandered off, probably to eat the potato.

"Where did she even get a potato from?..." Vaskul idly thought as he went back to his book.

Later on, Vaskul smelled smoke for some reason... _The Hell?_ Curious, Vaskul wandered to the source to see Alice, Luka, and the Captain panicking over some large flames raging across the library. It seems that the potatoes caught on fire... somehow.

 _I'm not in the mood to deal with this shit..._ Vaskul used _Wish_ and hoped for the flames to die out. Thankfully, instead of suddenly spawning several tons of water or making the fire rage faster, the fires instead died down fairly rapidly and stopped burning the library and its precious books. "Alright, who had the bright idea to burn this place down!?" He shouted at the three while giving a very intimidating stare.

"Um... Oh look, a book about Esturk..." Luka meekly said, pointing behind Vaskul. Vaskul, being blind when it came to matters like that, took the schmuck bait and turned around.

"What do you mean a book about Est- Damn it Luka!" Vaskul turned around and saw Alice and Luka slip out in the confusion. _Bah, n_ _o use chasing them down now... Oh well. I should probably get back to Chrome and see how she's doing anyways._ Vaskul was a bit miffed, but dismissed it. He silently casted _Wraith Form_ and flew out back to the Haunted Manor in the confusion.

* * *

 _*Haunted Mansion*_

 _..._

 _"Hey Chrome! I'm baaaaack! Anything happened while I was gone?"_ Vaskul cheerily shouted as he walked into the foyer.

"Not much. I got a random shipment of body parts from some red-headed scientist a few days ago though..." Chrome said, "I don't know why, but she insisted it was meant to be delivered here. Not that I'm complaining. The materials were top-grade!"

 _"Neat. Does she come by often or was this the first time?"_ Vaskul questioned.

"She came by often. I guess she might be interested in our experiments, as she offered us a place in some 'Truth Seekers' or some group like that." Chrome mentioned, "I think she might be an Angel. She had that 'Outsider' feeling you told me about a few months ago."

 _"An Angel?"_ Vaskul stroked his chin, _"Quite fascinating. Why would an Angel be interested in us? We hardly do anything big or infamous, not yet anyways."_ He was secretly happy about this though, as this 'Angel' might lead him directly to Ilias, who could tell him the location of Estark directly, and then he could _really_ get his plans rolling into motion. _"I think I will accept this invitation once I get to know her."_ He decided.

"Taking chances? That's not like you Master..." Chrome stared at him with a doubtful face. Why was he so out-of-character? He _never_ takes chances until he knows what was going on...

 _"Come now, Chrome. Don't be so 'impy' about it!"_ he joked, deciding to try telling Chrome the same jokes Kyous used to say to piss him off to deflect her suspicions.

"Don't you mean 'grumpy?...' Wait, since when did you start making half-assed jokes!?" Chrome demanded.

 _"Since now, for the low price of my pupil's sanity!"_ Vaskul grinned even more when Chrome groaned in disgust. So this was how Kyous felt back then! No wonder why he always managed to be happy, even when Vaskul tried to sic a Balor on him!

"Please tell me that's the only joke you have." Chrome questioned.

 _"Nope! I have a ton of jokes left... A Skele-ton!"_ Vaskul ducked to avoid the _Magic Missile_ Chrome threw at him. _"Oh come on, don't you have a funny 'bone' for these sorts of things?"_

"Why are you doing this? It's even worse than the time you had a Wight give me a bear-hug!" Chrome whined.

 _"Because why not? I feel extraordinarily happy for some reason... It's like certain plans of mine are going to come to fruition very soon!"_ Vaskul said.

"Please go back to you normal self soon..." Chrome prayed quietly, though she silently died inside knowing that no god would bother answering her hopes.

...

While he was in the middle of his sleep, Vaskul heard a particularly loud crash near his coffin. _"God damn it Chrome... What did you summon from Nadiria or Hell this time?"_ He cursed as he kicked off the lid on the sarcophagus and looked around to see what was going on. He could almost immediately see a purple-skinned lamia strangely dressed like that Alice-girl he saw a few weeks back shivering behind a coffin in fear. _"Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?"_ He hissed as he came up to the Lamia.

"Wah!" The Lamia suddenly ran away in fear once she saw Vaskul's corpse-like face. "I'M SORRY! DARK GODDESS! DON'T LEAVE ME IN HERE WITH THESE FREAKS!" She cried out to something or someone as she ran.

 _"Ugh... Not this crap again. I'm tired of dealing with home-invaders... The Dark Elves back in Ilias Continent were enough trouble for me."_ Vaskul rolled his eyes and began to follow the lamia to another part in the basement, almost considering the thought of just killing her, dragging her corpse well away from the mansion and its lawn, and resurrecting or reanimating her from there.

"I'll give an Injection- Gah! Impudent Brat!" then, to add onto his list of problems and sleep disturbances, Vaskul faintly heard Chrome attacking something in one of the rooms.

"Ora!" He came in to see Luka perform Demon Decapitation on his pupil, and the consequent damage it did. It would take his skeleton crew weeks to fix that...

 _"Oi. Luka, Chrome. W_ _hat are you two_ _doing? You're going to cause the_ _house to collapse."_ Vaskul interrupted the fight and caused both of his old students to look at him in confusion. He simply gave a deadpan expression in response to their confusion.

"Vaskul? Why do you look like... What did you do to him!?" Luka turned and nearly attacked Chrome in fury, immediately coming to the conclusion that Chrome must've killed and reanimated his teacher.

 _"... No Luka. I always looked like this. You were just stupid enough to fall for the minor magic I used, even after I taught you about illusions and how to notice and look past them,"_ Vaskul face-palmed. Was this really the time for the wannabe hero to go and cause havoc in his house? He was just getting to sleep!

"Wh- What?... Then you were a Necromancer this whole time?" Luka had a look of betrayal of his face. "That would explain all of those freakish things I had to kill here... I didn't think you'd use something so evil."

 _"Hmph._ _Necromancy is only a type of magic, you dolt. And magic is a tool. And like normal tools, Necromancy can be used for good and evil. Think of it as a rock. Are rocks evil just because you can throw one and kill somebody?"_ Vaskul lectured. Didn't he already drill this into Luka's brain when he was a kid? He swore he did that, hell, even Lucifina even backed him up a few times! And she probably hated him teaching and passing his philosophies and outlooks on life to Luka!

"But- But all of those souls that are trapped! And you along with her would just desecrate the dead like that?" Luka protested, still overwhelmed by the sudden appearance and apparent lack of morality his teacher had.

 _"Luka, think. It's not very hard to see why me and her would practice our arts here. This place was an execution ground, and **then** it was a graveyard. What do you do with criminals on a death sentence?" _Vaskul pinched the bridge of his nose. Even though he had one of the most persuasive voices known to Faerun, it still wasn't enough to get paladins like Luka off his tail!... Sort of how like he was when he first met Kyous all those years ago. _Huh. So this is how my master must've felt when we first had our debate on magic and morality..._ Vaskul idly thought from this entire situation.

"We- we execute and cremate them... Or use their corpses for fertilizer if Ilias demands it... I mean, we used to bury their bodies... Oh." Luka recalled what happened, and his voice fell flat.

 _"Exactly. Does it **really** matter if criminals are used to be reanimated and tested? No. Who cares about a murderer's corpse? Not me. In fact, I'd say they'd be contributing to society more than ever by having their bodies used in experiments!"_ Vaskul reasoned, slowly influencing Luka, _"I've been a Necromancer far longer than you've been alive_ _Luka. I know for a fact that there are many good wizards that use Necromancy out there to do what's right. Would you still beat them up and kill their willing constructs just because of that? Or what about Necromancers that can fully revive people? Would you crucify one because he or she revived your mother or father?"_ Vaskul began to get onto a personal level.

"Oh... Um... Uhh..." Luka looked at a lost for words.

 _"Exactly. You are but a child compared to me and others like me... You don't understand what **true magical evil is like. You haven't seen the evil magic can really do.** " _He darkly threatened. _"There are things that will drive you mad if you ever gaze upon them Luka. There are things sleeping in the darkest and deepest parts of the void... They must be fought off, no matter the cost. You do not know what is out there... I do."_

Luka seemed to have given up completely, having no words to try and argue Vaskul's points.

 _"I do hope that I can assume you understand now?"_ Vaskul inquired.

Luka sighed, "Yes, I guess you're right... I see your point now. I suppose I should probably get going now, huh? Probably leave you to do what you need to do. You have your problems and things to solve, and I have my own problems to deal with."

 _"That would be best."_ Vaskul agreed.

"Yeah... Sorry about this whole thing, Master Vaskul. Hey! Alice! We're going now!" He called out for his companion.

"AIIIEEE!" The lamia from earlier, which Vaskul now knew to be Alice, quickly coiled around Luka in fright. Looking at this, Vaskul then began to faintly remember traumatizing this particular lamia when she was a baby during his raid on the Maou's Library... Yes, this "Alice" was the same child he threw that Wight on, and the same Alice he met at San Ilia. Perhaps Luka could make up for his intrusion by letting him get some joy off of his companion's fears...

Slowly Vaskul's displeased frown turned into a playful smirk.

 _"Eheheheh... Ooohhh Alllliiicccee... I have a present for you!~"_ Vaskul called out sweetly.

"A P- Pr- Present?..." Shivering, Alice turned around to see her childhood nightmare, torn lips, glowing eyes and all.

 _"Indeed! If you thought a normal HUMAN Wight was terrifying enough... Wait 'til you get a load of this~!"_ Vaskul cackled as he casted _Create Undead_ and formed a fat, rotting, and generally speaking a disgusting patchworked Orog of a Wight. _"Wight, go and give your old friend Alice a little 'Hug'... She looks so cold~!"_ He motioned at Alice who was shivering at the mere mention of her worst nightmares.

"Org? Hurgh? Allie?" The Orog didn't hesitate to charge at Alice.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Alice sprang off Luka and slithered quickly to try and avoid the Orog... But history decided to repeat itself as the Wight grabbed her tail and pulled her into a bear-hug. She would always deny it after that, but if you were to look closely, you could've seen her piss herself yet again when she was hugged by the Wight.

"Grrr... Urg?" The Wight suddenly puffed up and exploded into a pile of puss, dust, and blood all over Alice.

"Gah... Ack... Aaugh..." Alice fainted!

 _"HA! GOT HER! HAHA!"_ Vaskul collapsed in laughter.

"Oh, ha _HA_. Very funny..." Luka grumbled as he began to drag the unconscious Alice by her tail to get out of the Manor. "Seems like you still get off of pulling pranks and scaring people. Now I know for certain you're still the same Wizard, even if you look like a corpse and seemed to have lost most of your morality."

Weeks later, Vaskul heard a loud knocking on the door, and opened it to find a red-haired scientist there. He noted she carried a distinct aura of an Outsider, but dismissed it, not really caring to ask about that at the moment.

 _"Oh. Hello. Can I help you?"_ he asked.

"Um... Yes, I have a package for Chrome Artiste. Is she here?" The woman questioned.

 _"Uh, yeah. She is. Let me go wake her up."_ Vaskul turned around and went off to Chrome's room, gesturing to the scientist that she could go and make herself comfortable while he got his disciple.

 _"Hey, Chrome, wake up! There's a package here for you."_ Vaskul poked Chrome's head for a bit until she began to stir.

"Mmph... Just a few more minutes Shirome..." She whined, still half-asleep.

In response, Vaskul casted **Blaze** on her hair.

"GAH! What the hell Vaskul!?" She screeched at him while she put the fires out, glaring at him.

 _"I said there was someone with a package for you. Learn to wake up fast, will you?"_ Vaskul repeated impatiently.

"Ugh, really? Fine, let me get dressed." Chrome got out of bed and began to get dressed while Vaskul left to go give her some privacy.

 _"So... When did Chrome start ordering out for surgical equipment?"_ Vaskul asked idly to the scientist upon returning to her in the Foyer.

"She started to request specific equipment not too long ago. She gives us experiment results and we give her this technology in return. I didn't know she lived with a human Necromancer." The Scientist said, a bit interested in who Vaskul actually was.

 _"Ah, I'm just her Teacher. In exchange helping her learn the Necromancer's Trade I get to stay here."_ Vaskul answered.

"Really? I didn't know she had a teacher." The Scientist seemed to be interested in this as well.

 _"She does. It's just that she's too_ _embarrassed to admit it to anyone."_ Vaskul simply answered, getting a small snicker from the scientist.

"I'm not!" Chrome denied as she came into the room. "Oh, and uh.. Hey Promestein." She then greeted the Scientist awkwardly.

"Hello Chrome. I didn't know you were just an apprentice to someone else..." Promestein smirked when she saw Chrome's irritated look.

"I am not just an apprentice!... Anyways, I guess you're here to deliver the last of the shipments right?" Chrome inquired.

"Correct," Promestein affirmed "Oh, and did you consider the offer I made to you a while back?"

"Oh, right! To join the 'Truth Seekers' right?" Chrome recalled.

"Seekers of Truth," Promestein corrected, slightly annoyed by Chrome's bad memory.

"Yes, yes... Hm... What do you think Vaskul?" Chrome looked to him for advice.

 _"Maybe. What is the goal of this group?"_ Vaskul considered the thought. He was interested in this group when Chrome mentioned it a while back, but he didn't think they would come to him first. Though the idea of working with others like him interested him, even if their ultimate goals may differ from his. And it couldn't possibly be worse than working with a Beholder (Of the Ultimate Eye Tyrant variant) and Ulitharid Paragon at the same time.

"Our goal? It's quite simple, really. We seek to learn more about the secrets of the universe and the reason for existence." Promestein answered.

 _"It is a fascinating thought. I've spent many years learning and tracing the past behind that exact goal..."_ Vaskul mused, recalling that he used to research it, before he became obsessed with the Secret of Evolution, _"It was only recently that I've decided to actively move around and do things physically."_

"But will you join us? I assure you that we would be hardly a hindrance to your goals, after all, we seek only to assist each other." Promestein waited for his answer.

Vaskul thought about this group. It couldn't _possibly_ be worse than working with a Xenophobic Eyeball and an overly Arrogant Squid-Man rip-off of Cthulhu. And the end goal did appeal to him... He always did toy with the thought of where Life, Hopes, and Dreams came from, and where they went. Of course, the Secret of Evolution was more important to him... But this Promestein was obviously one of Ilias' creations, and if Vaskul could get close to Ilias, then he could discover the resting place of Estark much faster than if he went and spent the time needed to scry the entire world.

 _"Heh, well, I don't see why I shouldn't join!"_ Vaskul decided to take the chance. And, did it really matter? He knew he wouldn't spend much time or effort around these people anyways unless they did show to have knowledge that he didn't already know.

Promestein smirked, "I do believe you will make for an excellent addition to our ranks..."

 _"Oh you have no idea..."_ Vaskul suspected they would be very keen on learning what he knows... And they will know, but not without providing some form of entertainment first... _"Might I be able to learn about my new allies?" h_ e inquired.

"Oh, you can actually go and meet with them if you would like. We should be having a meeting soon enough." Promestein mentioned. "I presume you can teleport to some degree?"

 _"I can. I just need to know where the place is."_ Vaskul did master teleportation when he was exploring the Astral Planes after all. It was sort of a neccessity to avoid angry Eldritch Abominations and Gods.

"Good, good. It's called Drain Lab, underneath Fairy Island to the west of the Safina region." Promestein informed. "And with that, I should get going soon. I'll see you there!" With that said, she vanished.

"Uoo... Why did you accept?" Chrome groaned at last, now regretting letting him decide with the meeting location being so far away.

 _"Because I'm bored." c_ ame the simple "answer."

"Figures." Chrome rolled her eyes. "Does that mean I have to tag along?"

 _"Well you can stay here, but I probably won't be able to give you the source materials needed to learn proper 9th level magic if I get preoccupied with something."_ Vaskul said.

"Damn it." Chrome sighed. "Frederika! Keep an eye on this place while we're gone, alright?"

Pouting angrily after asserting Fredirka had heard and obeyed the order, Chrome came up to Vaskul. "I guess we're teleporting there?"

 _"Obviously. I'm not about to spend weeks walking on burning desert sands just to get there. What do you think I am, crazy?"_ Vaskul sarcastically replied as Chrome grabbed his hand to tag along in the teleportation.

"Sometimes I think you are."

Vaskul just shrugged light-heartedly as he casted _Greater Teleport_ and warped the two to where Promestein said.

...

"Um, Vaskul? I don't think this is Fairy Island..." Chrome said as they landed in some jungle area.

 _"Hm. Let me try again,"_ Vaskul chanted _Greater Teleport_ and tried again.

...

"Okay, what are you doing?" Chrome was slightly miffed at the second failure. Now the two were in an Elvish Village of sorts. Vaskul noted an aura similar to Lucifina's here, oddly enough.

 _"Yes, yes. I know this is not the Island, I'm trying to make it work!"_ Vaskul recasted the spell.

...

"Okay, this is definitely not an Island!" Chrome glared at Vaskul. The two were in a strange dark and gloomy castle, with three vampires, two of them looking to be aides to one that appeared to be a Queen, looking at them in shock.

 _"Shut up Chrome! I'm trying to cast it properly!"_ Vaskul teleported the two again.

...

"God damn it, how'd you get us in the Maou's Castle!?" Chrome borderlined shrieked at him. The two were in the Maou's Castle, with the Four Heavenly Knights looking at them weirdly.

 _"Damn it, this is going to be one of **those** trips again, isn't it?" _Vaskul muttered while he re-did the incantation.

"Um... Have I seen you before?" Tamamo questioned slowly, still processing why two magicians had just randomly teleported into one of the hallways.

"Wait a second!" Granberia instantly recognized the male magician... It was that bastard Vaskul! "I'll kill you!" She screamed, lunging at the two wizards.

Then Vaskul snapped his fingers and the two were gone.

"Hm. That Male Wizard smelled absolutely delightful! I wonder if I'll meet him again..." Alma Elma giggled a bit at Granberia face-planting herself into one of the pillars.

"... Idiots..." Erubetie shook her head. Now humans were abusing magic as well?

...

"... Huh? This is the ruins of the Old Maou's Castle, from Black Alice's time. How are we here?" Chrome asked, looking around the ruins of a forgone tyrant.

 _"Don't know, don't care."_ Vaskul didn't care as he recasted the spell, and vanished.

"... Hey! What about me!?" Chrome protested as she was left behind, "I don't want to go through the local swamp and mountain range-!" she would've kept whining and cursing Vaskul, before the delayed teleportation took effect, and she was finally transported along with Vaskul.

...

"HOW IN THE SIX ANCESTORS' NAMES DID YOU GET US THIS HIGH IN THE AIR!?" Chrome screamed at him while the two were rapidly falling towards the ground.

 _"I'M WORKING ON IT!"_ Vaskul shouted back as he quickly recasted the spell, _"HOLD ON!"_ He grabbed Chrome by her hair and warped away.

...

"Ugh... Where are we? When are we?" Chrome looked around to see a strange and large bug-man with two intimidating scimatars fighting a demonic elf man.

 _"Probably in the past, when Psaro fought Estark. Don't do anything, we don't want to interfere with time. Doing such things carry some bad side-effects even I don't fuck with..."_ Vaskul warned as he tried again. Well at least he now knew for sure Estark was here, and maybe Psaro as well. Too bad they couldn't just be active and actually make a name for themselves in the present so the Secret would be much easier to obtain.

...

"Are we in fucking space?" Chrome looked around to see the continents of Hellgondo, Sentora, and Ilias far below her, with strange gray rocks surrounding them. "We got on the moon?"

 _"Apparently. Don't worry, this isn't my first time getting stuck in outer space either. I've even piloted a spaceship before as well. It's much harder than it looks; Liches were not meant for commanding ships..."_ Vaskul recasted the teleport spell. [6]

...

"Why the hell are we in an arena?" Chrome paled once she realized where they were. This was the Grand Noah Colosseum. "Vaskul. Get us out now."

 _"Don't need to tell me twice!"_ Vaskul agreed and panicked as well before he performed the spell again, getting out of that awful place.

...

"What!? We're back home already!?" Chrome turned around and confirmed that this was in fact the Haunted Manor.

 _"Huh. The teleport seems to be flipping me off today. Let me-"_ Vaskul was cut off by Chrome.

"NO! I'm trying it this time!" Chrome firmly said as she chanted a basic _Teleport_ spell.

 _"Um Chrome, I don't think you can-"_ before Vaskul could voice his objections, Chrome finished the spell.

* * *

 _*At Drain Labs*_

 _..._

"Laplace, La Croix, Lily, we have a new member today," Promestein informed her gathered colleagues.

"Really? Who is she?" Laplace droned, curious as to who the new member was.

" _He_ , not her. I'm quite sure he would be very aggravated if we referred to him as a 'her,'" Promestein corrected.

"He? So a human... How interesting. What does he specialize in?" La Croix questioned, also interested in the new member.

"I believe he specializes in Alchemy and some form of Necromancy, as well as other types of magic," Promestein said.

"Magic? How strong is he?" Laplace whirred as she processed the information.

"He was strong enough to easily beat Granberia in one-on-one combat, in addition, as according to Chrome, when they first met, he had the ability to inspire some sort of awe or terror in the undead, though it would not work on stronger constructs," Promestein answered.

"Fascinating. I'm quite eager to meet this new wizard..." Lily said.

"Yes, in fact, I'm sure he'll be here soon..." Promestein and the others waited.

... A small silence passed.

"Any minute now..."

... The silence got longer. Laplace seemed to be checking her clock systems to see the time.

"Maybe I should've given him better directions..." Promestein thought aloud.

"You think?" La Croix rolled her eyes under her mask.

... Eventually, in a puff of smoke, Vaskul and Chrome teleported into the room.

"See? I told you I would do better!" she taunted him, appearing to be the one who won the small spat of who'd be the one to succeed in teleporting to Drain Labs first.

 _"After about three dozen tries, half of those being nearly fatal..."_ he grumbled, then cleared his voice. "Hello! I am Vaskul, your new member, and this is my apprentice Chrome."

"Don't introduce me as 'Apprentice!'" she hissed at him silently, but Vaskul just waved her off.

"Ah, Vaskul! We were waiting for you." Promestein motioned for her subordinates to introduce themselves.

"I am Laplace. Pleased to meet you," the machine said.

"I am La Croix. I'm sure we'll get along very well," She said, her voice slightly muffled by the plague doctor mask she wore. Chrome widened her eyes at the sight of her, but La Croix brought a finger to where her mouth was in a "Shhh" fashion.

"And I am Lily. I hope we get along well," Vaskul noted that this one was the only human here... Unless you could still somehow call him a human as well.

"All of us make up the Seekers of Truth," Promestein finished.

"Ah, very pleasant to meet you all!" Vaskul smiled widely, "But I am sure all of us would not have been called here just to meet me... I presume that there is something else?" He inquired.

"Quite accurate. You're a lot more sharper than I suspected," Promestein admitted, "I simply wished to learn more about you... You see, we've been watching you for the last few months since we heard of Granberia's defeat, and I learned there is something off about you... You seem human, and can act like one as we can see now, but I've seen a few things that indicate otherwise."

"Really? _And what would that be?"_ Vaskul's smile twitched a little. He didn't expect them to be prepared for his true nature yet... And he certainly didn't think they would be interested in him lecturing Chrome about the Dark Arts for several years on end. He just hoped that they didn't already report this to Ilias to make him look bad...

"Your voice. Until now it sounded normal, like Lily's or La Croix or even me, but just now all of us could hear what you sound like when you lose patience or just don't feel like acting. Another thing is how you acted towards Alice and Luka a few weeks back. When you confronted Luka, you already knew him on a personal level, so you decided to influence and twist his perspective on the morals of your practices, while with Alice you only saw her fit to toy around with and scare," Laplace answered, "Also, there's the fact that you emit an unnaturally strange form of darkness and your skin's too leathery and course for any normal person to have."

Vaskul frowned.

"What? You didn't expect us to be so prepared?" Promestein waited to see his answer.

Vaskul opted to burn his face away and reveal his jeweled skull. _"Hm. You lot may be more intriguing than I intially hoped,"_ His skin and muscles quickly shrivelled up until it was grossly pale and wrinkled, and the bones started to make up most of his body. In other words, he looked like a normal lich. _"It's been a while since someone saw me for what I could be."_

At this point La Croix seemed to be devoting more attention than even Promestein when Vaskul began to resemble an undead.

 _"I assume you have some questions?"_ he rasped.

Promestein and Lily seemed a little freaked out at his casual tone despite looking like _that_.

"Yes. Why do you actually look like that?" La Croix calmly asked.

 _"I'm a Lich. A wizard who stored his soul in a phylactery and can from that_ _point onwards_ _exist forever. It is natural for our bodies to crumble and fade over time as we get more and more magical in nature and less attached to physical existence."_

"A lich? I thought the secrets to such practices were lost long ago..." La Croix leaned back and contemplated this. Could this be a solution to her "issue?"

 _"It's exaggerated really. The process to lichdom is more of a badly kept secret. Anyone could learn it if they looked in the right places,"_ Vaskul didn't seem to bothered by the thought of giving away Faerunic Secrets. _"Anything else?"_

"Yes." Laplace whirred, "What is that energy you emit? And why do you have gems in your skull?"

 _"Oh, that? It's called Negative Energy. Where I come from, Undead usually use this as their sort of... 'Life' Force, if you will... It empowers them, makes them stronger, faster, and smarter. It reacts horribly with normal life force, as if it was Matter meeting Anti-Matter... Such events can have effects such as Entropy and Necrosis, so most Necromantic Attack Spells use this to their advantage,"_ Vaskul answered, _"The Jewels are just decoration. My old teeth and eyes rotted out long ago, so I decided to make use of some of the gems I came across to use for once,"_ He lied about that topic. He didn't want them knowing he could also revive himself through these gems as well nor did he want them knowing he could literally devour souls with them as well...

"Interesting... Is this 'Negative Energy' useable in other means?" Laplace started to run scans to see the potential uses of this new form of darkness.

 _"Probably. As long as the user is undead or non-living, then there's no risk of back-lash when dealing with this energy,"_ Vaskul thought, _"And if the user is living, then they must take proper precautions and perform the incantation of the spell accurately. Is that all?"_

"Yes." Laplace was keen on learning more about this 'Negative' Energy. It could make for a good mass-destruction weapon if used like a gas and spread out among large populations...

"Y- Yes..." Promestein and Lily said, still a bit disturbed at just how much more horrific Vaskul's existence was than they initially thought... A Wizard that tore out his own soul and shoved it in some object, gets empowered by the very thing that kills and destroys life as they knew it, and looks like a dessicated epidemic victim when Ilias was having a bad day.

 _"Good, good... Now, shall we begin the meeting?"_ Vaskul said calmly as he took a seat.

"Oh, right. Now then..." Vaskul was mostly listening in, and was surprised at the secrets these four had obtained... Though he did already know these things.

Eventually in the meeting, Vaskul took notice of a faint aura of an outsider... A spy? He made a note to track this spy down once he was done here.

"Is there anything else anyone would like to add?" Promestein questioned, looking over her fellow scientists who had nothing else to say or put in, "Then this meeting is adjourned. You may all go back to your normal duties."

"I will take my leave now... I believe some runty Hero is stirring up trouble in my village anyways, and I can't have him ruining my experiments!" Lily teleported away.

"I must go and analyze this 'Negative' Energy..." Laplace moved her core to a place where she could properly conduct research on this.

"Hm. Chrome?" La Croix beckoned to Chrome, "May I have a word with you in private?" She asked. Chrome went on over.

At this point Vaskul had fully reverted to his human disguise, though his voice still gave away his true nature. _"... Chrome, I trust you can teleport back on your own, right?"_ Vaskul questioned, still flexing out his fingers and getting used to the tight skin.

"Yes, I can teleport by myself." Chrome responded, still focused on La Croix for whatever reason.

 _"Then I too, will take my leave,"_ Vaskul lied. Instead of teleporting like he said, he instead casted _Invisibility _and _Wraith Form_ to follow the little spy he detected earlier.

* * *

Curiously, the spy was some sort of Cupid. A rather clumsy and ditzy one at that.

 _Who would want such a klutz to relay information for them?_ He thought as he looked at her, but remained silent. That could wait. For now he needed to see who this spy served...

He followed the spy until she arrived at where Vaskul thought to be the center of Sentora... "The Navel of The World," if he remembered correctly. It was quite attractive and scenic despite its name. There were countless gardens with Ivory Statues all over the place... Though some had men stuck on them for some reason. There was an Ivory Tower as well, looming high above the small plazas that dotted the landscape below them.

Eventually, the Cupid stopped and flew down to a large gateway on the large plaza. The Gate had large vines and ivory carvings decorating it. Two of the gate's eye-like carvings centered on the Cupid, and a woman's upper body formed on the top.

"I assume you're back on orders from Master Eden?" The Gate asked.

"Yep~!" The Cupid smiled widely, "I've got so much to tell her!"

"Hm hm, go on in. Do not keep Master Eden waiting!" The Gate opened the... gate, to reveal some sort of portal. The Cupid didn't hesitate to go in, and the Gate began to close.

 _Oh shit!_ Vaskul flew in quickly just before the Gate closed in on him.

 _... *In Heaven* ..._

Vaskul nearly hissed aloud in pain, but he managed to hold it back before he gave himself away. If he had to guess what this was from the Cupid and the painfully golden-white clouds and sky around him, it was probably this world's iteration of Heaven. He saw some Angels fly around, but they didn't seem to notice him yet. He continued following the Cupid until she eventually came to a tall, green-haired angel with six golden wings on her back and two smaller ones coming out of her hair. She had a large halo over her head, and was dressed in an intricate toga... Most definitely a high-ranking angel.

"Master Eeeeeden! I have a repooooort!~" The Cupid announced loudly.

"Yes, yes. I can see that. Did you learn anything from Promestein and her subordinates?" Eden listened closely.

"I sure did! They said a lot of stuff I don't understand, but I do know they got a new member!" The Cupid cheerily said.

"Another one!?" Eden shouted, but then recollected herself, "What do you know about her?"

"Well, um..." The Cupid got a bit scared by Eden's temporary rage, "It's actually a he..."

"A Human? What is he like?" Eden interrogated. She would have to adjust her plans if there was another one in Promestein's little group...

"He had um... Weird skin, like, really weird skin. It was all pale and shrivelled up, and it looked really leathery and coarse. He didn't have a real face, only a skull... And he had jewels and gems placed where his eyes and teeth should've been. He claimed to be a wiz-ard and a lich... But then later on he used magic to look normal again somehow!" The Cupid recalled.

"What the hell...? Is there anything else about him?" Eden was disturbed at the implications of what this wizard might've gone through to look like what the Cupid just said.

"Oh yeah! He had a rrreeaally creepy voice after he turned into that thing and rasped something about 'Nega-Tive' Energy! I don't what it is, but I think it's that weird darkness I felt from him... It felt as if he wasn't alive at all!"

Eden clenched her fists. That definitely pointed to some sort of Necromantic origin for this new magician... He must've casted those illusions to cover up his true appearance and voice, "Anything else?" She then asked.

"Yeah, he took a glance at where I was cause he seemed a bit bored and gave up on correcting the others about the really complicated stuff, and smiled really weirdly! But when someone asked him, he just said: _'Oh, I thought I heard something, but it's probably nothing...'_ or something along those lines! But if that was the case then I think he didn't actually see me!" The Cupid quickly added upon seeing Eden's glare.

"A Corpse-like Necromancer that noticed your presence but didn't warn Promestein... Cupid, I don't think he was interested in whatever Promestein offered him if he was outright _correcting and ignoring_ her of all people; He must have another goal. There must be something other than whatever Promestein and her lackeys want that he specifically desires, but what could that possibly be?..." Eden sighed in exasperation of yet another problem surfacing to annoy and stress her out, "Did you at least make sure he didn't follow you?"

"Yep! He chanted some weird magic thing about invisi-something when they were done talking and said he was teleporting away... Though I did feel that weird darkness thing he emitted when I was coming back," The Cupid answered.

Eden's eyes widened. "He _did_ follow you here somehow... He must be at Heaven's Gates!" she whipped around and flew rapidly towards the Gates.

"Hey! Wait for meeee!" The Cupid cried out as she followed.

Meanwhile said Necromancer was giggling like a complete moron at their idiocy. _Morons didn't even think to check the area around them..._ It was pretty obvious to him that he couldn't go back the way he came... But _Greater Teleportation_ could get him out, and _Wish_ could as well, so there was really no reason to be concerned.

Vaskul dismissed that minor issue and decided to explore the surroundings. If this really was Heaven, then surely there would be something to indicate the location of Estark or Psaro?

With that in mind, he flew around, searching for some sort of archive or record of various things that the Angels might record to remember long-term plans. Eventually he heard outcries of alarm from the Heavenly Host, it was probably them learning about his little "visit" due to the Negative Energy he left behind... It was probable that where ever he goes in this purely holy and light plane of reality, he would leave behind an obvious trace of his presence. Still not a major issue as long as he was quick enough though.

Vaskul continued to explore the area, and found it got quieter as he got further away from the place... Did they really think he would actually still be there, at the front gates, and thus sent all of their angels to search the area? Who's in charge of them? That Eden person? If so, she must be very bad at her job and foresight. Maybe she's new to the job or something... Maybe the old commander died, or retired, or otherwise wasn't there to properly manage the forces and spread them out to be more annoying.

Soon he found himself near the limit of the skies, and saw a tall angel with two large white wings and long blond hair that reached to her ankles. She wore a gold tiara with a similarly golden simple dress... She was seemingly gazing out into the horizon in deep thought, so she didn't notice him yet.

 _I could use her to find out if they actually do have an archive or library,_ Vaskul reasoned as he landed behind her.

 _"Hello..."_ He began, but he was cut off when she turned around. She took a step back and her eyes widened in shock as she turned to see who he was, and Vaskul did likewise...

This "Angel" was not an Angel, it was Ilias herself!... Or at least he assumed she was Ilias from the statues and artwork he saw in San Ilia. Recovering from shock, Vaskul put on a confident mask and said what he thought would be best for the situation.

 _"So. We meet again, Primal Element..."_ Vaskul grinned in amusement.

"Vaskul?..." Ilias smiled weakly, "Y-You finally came back..."

* * *

Notes and Things:

[1]: Frederika's art shows her sitting down (or at least it seems to indicate that), so I decided to use that for story purposes.

[2]: The Sacrum is where the spine and pelvis meet.

[3]: The Radius and Ulna are bones in your forearms, the Radius is the big one, while the Ulna is the smaller one.

[4]: The Inworld terms for D&D Magic and Dragon Quest Magic is Faerunic Magic and Zenithian Magic respectively.

[5]: The Icy Pulse is the same thing Zoma and others do to void all magic effects, like Granberia (And later Luka's) Ability to use the Four Spirits. It goes both ways however, and any negative effects the user casts in the area (Like Sap or Stopspell), will be voided as well. It's a bit like a Beholder's Anti-Magic Eye.

[6]: Vaskul's been in multiple campaign settings and in Alefgard (During Zoma's Reign) and Nadiria (DQIV's Version of Hell). What he's referring to when they're stuck on the moon is that he once got trapped in the Spelljammer Campaign Setting for quite some time. (It's also why he's not surprised by the technology in Promestein's Lab.)

* * *

Author's Notes:

To be continued!... Or whatever people say for these cliff-hangers.

Anyways, here we see Vaskul go back to his magical practices and become more active during the main events of Monster Girl Quest! He even meets the daughter of that one dragon he killed (and skinned) a while back, and accidently muses about orphaning Granberia right as they're fighting (At that time Granberia suffered form slight amnesia and couldn't recognize Vaskul due to landing on her head when Vaskul threw her)...

You can bet there's major changes to come with the events of San Ilia and the Haunted Manor, from Alice struggling to break the Goddess's Sword (Because in this story, Ilias had it made out of Orichalcum, though the sword is now nowhere near its prime, so Alice could still break it) to Luka seeing his mentor's true nature. (Also we see The Ghost of Zoma for a bit... He's not just a small cameo or joke. And yes, he actually can break a sword made of Orichalcum, that's what the Sword of Kings is made of.)

Oh, and I decided to use Eden's Paradox Art for this story. I just felt it was a bit weird that one of the top creations (and right now the Supreme Commander) of Ilias' Angels would just go around streaking all the time.

I've also noticed I somehow managed to get 10 reviews... And I'd like to thank you guys for it! It helps motivate me a lot! (Hence why this chapter is nearly twice as long as a normal chapter) Please keep sending your thoughts here so I know how I'm doing when writing these things.

So! With all of that said and done, I will see you all later!


	4. Small Shock

_"So. We meet again, Primal Element."_ Vaskul smiled inwardly as he saw Ilias recognize him.

"Y- You really came back..." Ilias trembled with happiness.

 _"Of course I did. I said I would be back soon, didn't I?"_ Vaskul responded.

"I... I didn't expect this. I had thought you were gone forever, for one reason or another," she seemed surprised, not quite sure how to take this in.

 _"I did say I would return. I'm a Lich of my word,"_ Vaskul said, starting to wonder if this was truly a good idea in hindsight.

 _Well shit. I should've probably gave the aftermath of meeting her more thought rather than how I would manipulate her..._ Vaskul thought as he began to sweat from nervousness. He had hoped she was a bit more emotional or friendly towards him when he reappeared before her... _Should've given a bit more thought into actually, y'know, **manipulating** her instead of being entranced by the thought of simply making her feel overwhelming shock and nostalgia..._

"... I never realized you were so... skeletal, in nature. Had it not been so obvious to me that you're an undead, I would ask if you if you were malnourished," Ilias brought a finger up to her lip, her brow furrowing as she thought about what to do in this situation.

 _This is getting really awkward..._ Vaskul just opted to stare and wonder why this was happening. _... Maybe just being stuck with either Lucifina, Luka, or Chrome for a few years wasn't good for my social skills... Sheesh. And I used to be so good at inspiring people too, back in my paladin days. Now... Eugh._

"So. What made you come back to me after all this time? It's been a long time, there has to be a reason for this," Ilias suddenly pointed out.

 _"Um. I only left for a short amount of time-..."_

"You left me alone for over 3 million years with a whore. And even then I couldn't talk to her. Not like I'd want to anyways," she glared at him. But despite that though, she still looked a tad bit adorable. Between her, Luka, and very rarely Lucifina, Vaskul was starting to really think cuteness must be a running trait in the elements family line. At least, when they're young. Well, very young. To him practically everyone was a child.

 _Huh. I feel flashbacks to my old party members. The old bastards and bitch._ Vaskul thought idly, _... Now I'm getting sidetracked. Gah... This really is feeling awkward..._

"You're damn right it's awkward," Ilias commented, "It's one of the reasons why I keep the angels around me. So I don't wind up hearing my pious followers' closet perversions and fetishes. Do you know how many mental scars I got over the years from that? Too many!"

 _"Oh would you look at that. Still capable of mind-reading... And honestly, you should've seen that coming, becoming a Goddess,"_ Vaskul suspected as much. He would have to be careful about his personal musings later... Though it could come in handy for teasing her later.

"Yes, I really should've. Now, please explain why you're even here. There has to be a reason why you're here," she said, tapping her finger impatiently.

 _"Oh, is it so bad that I want say hello to an old friend?"_ Vaskul answered, deciding to put off the talk about Estark later.

"I'd hardly describe us as 'friends...'" Ilias mused, "In fact, I quite despise the undead. Disgusting creatures who live off the Darkness, the exact thing Alipheese I represents."

 _Aaaaaaand that's when I knew, this is when I fucked up. More than usual, anyways,_ Vaskul mused, _"Hey... Rude. Don't compare all the the undead to the whores and mockeries this world has._

"I see... So you're implying a rotting whore and a rotting abomination are two different things?" Ilias had a doubtful look on her face.

 _"Yes. Yes I am. What wonderful listening skills you have,_ _"_ Vaskul promptly snarked, knowing fully well that she should know he wasn't nearly as respectful as the other humans she knew. _"I would expect you to at least have respect for the corpse that can keep its dick or vagina inside a pair of underwear or pants."_

"I should have respect for anyone who doesn't even have such disgusting thoughts in the first place," Ilias sighed, "... But, even then, at least you came back."

 _"Indeed I have... And it would seem you've been quite busy,"_ Vaskul smiled thinly as he started to get tired of her (verbally) pinning him down like this, _"I did not think you were able to create lesser elements from yourself."_

"Ah, yes. I learned about creation and destruction from you before you left, and I eventually learned how to replicate and do it myself!" Ilias proudly puffed out her chest in pride now, "I learned about how to create others long before Alipheese!"

 _"Ho ho... While you are certainly good at creation, I have a question... How do the Angels reproduce? I don't see any Angel males."_ Vaskul asked with an undertone of snark.

"Oh! Um..." Ilias reddened, "Well, I didn't have anyone but myself to see, and I was a bit afraid to show myself to the humans at the time... And all I remembered of you was a blue misty cloud... So I based my first creations off of myself and a few humans I saw from a far off distance, and I wound up with Micaela, Lucifina, and Eden."

 _"That didn't answer my question completely though... You've had plenty of time to observe a man at length. Why didn't you do it later?"_ Vaskul frowned at her. She was avoiding his question for some reason.

"And eventually I found out how to make all of the others, and create one known as Throne Eggiel to make even more!" Ilias continued, pretending to have not heard his remark.

 _"Yes, yes. That's good and all... But why are you avoiding my question?"_ Vaskul sighed. There's something she's hiding from him isn't there? Well, it probably didn't matter, and it was likely that it was something he didn't really care about.

Ilias waved that aside, ignoring him as she instead asked her own question, "How did you make it here anyways? Nobody in this world except for maybe the monsters in Hellgondo know the Gate to Heaven is here... And the Gate of Heaven should've stopped you along with Eden and the others. Finally, _why did you come back?_ "

 _"Oh, I tracked a cupid here after I took some time to learn the area."_ Vaskul answered plainly, _"Your little 'spies' are not as stealthy as you would think them to be, though I will teach you how to perfect them and their skills... As for the Gate of Heaven and Eden? I just snuck by them with my magic. Don't underestimate my skill in the arcane arts..._ _"_ Vaskul answered.

"That's... worrying, to say the least," Ilias seemed troubled at that answer, "I suppose they've gotten too comfortable being the top of the food chain..."

 _"Hm hm hm hm... Indeed. Give them a few weeks in Faerun. They'll either come out champions and paragons or dead... or worse. But..."_ Vaskul leaned in and hugged her suddenly, "I need you to help me..." He gently whispered in his faux-pleasant voice.

Ilias appeared slightly taken aback by his sudden move, but decided to listen, "Go on..."

 _"I have been tracking down and hunting an Ancient Demon Lord since time immemorial... Even before I met you I was trying to find him... I found out quickly that the Demon Lord had crashed here, and you and some other Element managed to seal him away..."_ Vaskul whispered.

Ilias paled at what he implied, "Y-... Yo-you mean Esturk?... Why would you be tracking-"

 _"Because, my dear Elemental, Estark holds something that could make anyone into a living God. Even a worm could become a God if it got a hold of and used the Secret of Evolution... Just imagine what it could do to you and me... Imagine the two of us transcending Time and Space, beyond what any limited being could do, we could even will things to exist just by thinking about it... All I need is your help... Or would you rather let yourself be equal to Alipheese?"_

"Truly?" Ilias seemed to be very interested in the prospect of becoming a full-on God.

 _"Indeed... No one could stand up to you or me, not even Primal Alipheese... **Not a single person could stand up to us...** " _Vaskul's smile spread from cheek to cheek when he saw Ilias' eyes. They had a lust for power, knowledge, and Godhood in them... And probably disappointment in his undead nature, but who gave a damn about that?

"... I would assume you know what to do? I don't want to unseal The Dark Goddess because Estark got loose..." Ilias shivered in excitement and fear.

 _"I do. All I need to get the Secret is your help... Only you can help me with this. I do not wish to turn to a whore for Estark's location..."_ Vaskul assured.

Ilias' Pupils contracted into pinpricks of pure insanity. _"Then I believe we can finally get to know each other once more. Let bygones be bygones, and forget your undeath and abandonment. For now, let's focus on Godhood."_

 _ **"Indeed, my dear Elemental,"** _Vaskul mentally pumped up his fist in triumph. Yes! _YES!_ He was finally going to gain the Secret of Evolution after so many eons and ages of searching! It was going to be his and his alone... Because obviously Ilias didn't need to know that she needed the Armlet of Transmutation to have a perfect form, nor did he really have any intentions of letting her gain the Secret of Evolution either.

...

"Lady Ilias? I'm afraid there's an intruder in the Heavens..." Seraph Eden hesitantly flew just before her Master's domain to inform her about the Necromancer. _I just hope she won't take her anger out on me... Though, perhaps I deserve it for allowing such a horrible error._

She didn't get an answer, "Lady Ilias?" she called out again.

Still no answer.

 _Does she want me to go in...?_ Eden guessed quizzically from her Goddess' silence. Ilias usually answered and didn't need anyone to go into her private quarters unless it was something she wanted to be kept secretly even from the other Angels. "Lady Ilias? Are you there?"

"Eden?" Ilias finally noticed her, and seemed to mutter: "Hm?... Yes, yes. She's my right-hand... Do you-? You don't care? I see then..." Eden noted her Master was talking to someone. "Come in, Seraph Eden."

"As you wish my Lady!" Eden flew up into her quarters, and entered one of her Goddess' rooms.

"Now then, what did you need?" Ilias inquired to Eden as she motioned for Eden to take a seat.

"I'm afraid to tell you that somebody has managed to break into the Heavens... He's supposedly one of Promestein's subordinates, and I believe he has necromantic origins," Eden informed as she looked around, noticing a man dressed in a black robe with ivoric carvings decorating it. He smiled calmly, waving at her as if she was a friend. "There he is! Don't worry Lady Ilias! I will subju-" Eden was cut off by Ilias raising her hand in a "cease" or "calm down" sort of way. "M-my-my lady?... What are you doi-?"

"Don't worry about Vaskul. He just didn't know I had you and the Heavenly Host with me now since our last encounter," Ilias waved off the so-called threat of Vaskul doing anything... for now.

"Me and the Host?... Last encounter? But we were the only ones with you in the beginning, how could there be-" Eden was cut off again, this time by Vaskul.

 _"What we are about to say is to stay between the three of us and us alone, until either me or Ilias says it's fine to talk and divulge it to the others, understood? Yes? Good..."_ Vaskul strictly ordered Eden, who decided to listen for now instead of arguing with him out of respect for Ilias' approval, _"I met Ilias long before she truly had a mind when I was exploring the Void with an Astral Projection of my mind, and after some time I directed her here so that I may find her again when I could return in a Physical Form. Quite clearly a lot of time has passed since then... Much more time than I intended."_ Vaskul explained.

Eden wanted to smite him for casually talking about Ilias like that... But her Goddess had not a single complaint about that, so he had to be telling the truth, even if she didn't like it.

 _"I eventually returned here, and quickly found out that not only Ilias had became the 'Goddess' of this world, but Estark had been crashed here as well, and rests somewhere..."_ Vaskul finished, implying Estark was important to him or his goals somehow.

"Esturk? How do you know about him? And why would you care? He's long gone by now, and for as long as any sane person should care, he should stay gone, sealed, and forgotten!" Eden sharply responded to the mention of Estark, now curious as to why this man knew so much about their past, even though they had long since torn and eradicated the records of Estark from most humans and monsters.

 _"I've known him for a long time... Even before Ilias was born, I was tracking him down. As for why I care, Well..._ _That is between me and Ilias. You might find out in time... If we decide it's not important enough to keep a secret..."_ Vaskul cryptically answered.

"Really? You not only want to risk breaking Primal Alice and the Ancestors out, but you want to risk awakening Estark as well!? Lady Ilias, surely this goal, whatever it may be, is not worth whatever this wizard says?" Eden questioned, unsure about letting this Necromancer so casually join their forces and redirect their goals and ideals...

"Eden, my loyal Seraphim, you'll understand in time... Vaskul is much older and (possibly) wiser, and is most likely more skilled than me magically speaking... He should know what he is doing. All we have to worry about is Promestein or Black Alice finding out our true goals, and even then, we can deal with them rather easily," Ilias reassured her uncomfortable follower.

"I see then..." Eden said, though her expression said anything but that. "I will tell the Host the truth of the false alarm, and say nothing about what has transpired here," she turned to leave, but was stopped by Vaskul. "Yes? What do you want Necromancer?"

 _"Would you mind telling them I'm on their side as well? It would be a shame if I had to break in every time I had to go here."_ Vaskul asked.

"But of course... Necromancer," Eden said with false obedience as she continued on, biting her tongue from having to agree to make her brethren think that this wizard, whoever he is, is some sort of "friend" or "ally" to them...

...

 _"Hm hm... So, who is Black Alice? I know Promestien is most likely the red-headed scientist angel who creates and supplies your technology, but I have no memory of a 'Black Alice' being mentioned."_ Vaskul chuckled as he watched the various expressions of relief and surprise among the Heavenly Host down below as Eden delivered the news.

"Oh, her? She's a descendent of Primal Alice, the Eighth to be exact," Ilias' face twisted in disgust at the mention of her name, "The only reason I let her live is so that the balance between Light and Darkness stays in shape."

 _"Light and Darkness?... Ah, the system that would allow Primal Alice and her Ancestors to break free should too many monsters die off if I recall correctly. Does that also apply to if Light gets too weak as well?"_ Vaskul mentally noted to try and meet this "Black Alice" later, as she was likely the only major commander of Ilias's army he hasn't seen or met yet. Perhaps she will provide some form of entertainment just like the current Maou.

"Hm, that's a good question. The treaty was made to mostly keep me from killing off all of the monsters and tipping the balance too far in Light's favor, but I'm not sure if Primal Alice will break free if Darkness is too overpowering of Light... Though I am not sure how one would kill me or any of the Angels, as we can only be killed off for good in Heaven," Ilias thought, now interested as to what would actually happen if that was the case, but only as a mental scenario. The last thing she wanted other than Estark's revival was Primal Alipheese coming back with Darkness being _stronger_ than Light in the scale of things... "I think it truly works in that the seal is undone when too much Darkness energy permeates the atmosphere. As such, if the Darkness is overwhelming the Light through "

 _"Just like a Faerunic Balor..."_ Vaskul muttered under his breath.

"A what now?" Ilias caught his mention of some "Balron" or "Balrog."

 _"Balors are the Demon Generals of my world, just under Demon Princes and Lords like Estark and Demogorgon. They're tough bastards, and can only truly be killed off if they're found and destroyed for good in Hell in a spectacular explosion, and even then, that doesn't completely assure the chance they might reincarnate as a lesser demon and rise again to Balor status one day... I've had many incidents where one was ordered to annoy or troll me by Kyous (The Wormy, Overkilling Bastard...)"_ Vaskul elucidated.

"Hm, interesting. I guess they're the equivalent of monsters in your world?" Ilias perked at the thought of learning more about Faerun.

 _"To an extent, I guess. I suppose Demons and Devils represent the Malice and Evil of my world, while Beholders and Mind Flayers represent Xenophobia and Megalomania, and the Tribe of Baramos, especially the ones that served under Zoma, represent pure hatred and nihilism. All the other monsters are just there to cause havoc and do whatever they want."_ Vaskul mulled, never really having thought about how this world had its perverted equivalents to Faerun, Nadiria, and Alefgard.

"Hm, that alone says how hard it must be to live there... You must be really strong to live in such a world." Ilias mused, thinking about what the heck was a "Mind Flayer" or a "Baramos." Faerun sounded quite harsh and focused on "Survival of the Fittest" to her.

 _"Indeed. While your world only has rapists and sluts, I lived in a world where Male and Female Monsters exist en masse and cause mass havoc and destruction everyday. It's actually rare to hear of rape and prostitution being a major issue among all the horrible things that go on in Faerun, and it's rare to see a man get tempted or fall for a monster, unless the monster is a Succubus... About the only thing Faerun has in common with your world is that Succubi are still sluts and whores. There's nothing in Faerun relating to the perversion of the First Alipheese, and if there were, it'd be wiped out... Though I suppose the Succubus Queen is a close equivalent? I don't know..."_

"No Alipheese? My, it sounds like you have such a colorful and wonderful world!" Ilias said, immediately changing her mind on the subject.

 _"... Anyways, back to the topic at hand. What would happen if Black Alice is somehow killed?"_ Vaskul sighed, annoyed by how Ilias always managed to confuse him. Why would she think Faerun was a wonderful and "colorful" world? Her current world was like a paradise compared to his, especially for mortal men, what with all the perverted women and lack of demonic overlords trying to destroy the World.

"If she's killed?" Ilias cupped her chin and mouth and thought for a moment. "I believe it would be very easy for either Primal Alice or just one Ancestor to break free if Black Alice dies if your overwhelming energy manages to keep the others sealed. Even then, that's unacceptable, seeing how much of an issue they caused me during the Great Monster Wars."

 _"Estark seemed to beat them up rather easily. Then again, he cut Primal Alice in half and tore off your wings, so they never really stood a chance to begin with."_ Vaskul snarked.

"Sh-shut up!" Ilias blushed, flustered as to how Vaskul knew she got pulverized by Estark once. "I'm still recovering from having eight of my wings ripped out!"

 _"So that book was right after all,"_ Vaskul chuckled, _"Anyways, is there anything to fall back on in case Black Alice dies?"_

"Not that I know of. Granted, we could keep the current Maou alive, but she would only provide a nuisance later on when our plans really start to develop." Ilias theorized.

 _"Hm... I think I have a servant waiting for me back at my old base that could remedy this issue."_ Vaskul _Wish_ _ed_ a portal to his old crypt to open! _"Want to tag along?"_ He offered Ilias a hand as he stepped into the portal. [1]

"Sure?..." Ilias took his hand, and was quickly sucked into the portal. "Wah!" She cried out as they were swallowed by the vortex.

 _*At Vaskul's Old Crypt...*_

 _..._

 _"Helmer? I'm back!"_ Vaskul called out to his Helmed Horror as he began walking down the freshly cleaned crypt. _"Hm, no bodies lying around, and there's not much dust..."_ he proudly noted as Ilias looked around in awe.

"So this is where you used to live?" Ilias asked, "I quite like the architecture. Impressively carved and crafted!"

 _"Ah, thank you! In this Crypt, my skull used to rest there,"_ Vaskul pointed at a pedestal where his skull used to lie in, _"And explore the depths of the Multiverse with my mind alone!"_

"I see..." the Goddess soon gasped, finding something, "A-am-amazing!" Ilias gaped in awe at how many artifacts and priceless jewelry dotted the place around them, it far outstretched her own horde of treasure and valuables!

Slowly, they heard some shuffling and clanking coming at them. It was dressed in gleaming and shining plate armor, with a crossbow and a bastard sword on its back. It had a large rapier strapped to its side as well, as if it was a backup weapon. Overall, it looked like what a princess would think her dream knight to be. "H- Hello?" Ilias spoke to the figure.

 _"Oh! Helmer! You even cleaned your armor up! Good job!"_ Vaskul walked up to Helmer with no fear.

Helmer pointed at Ilias, as if to ask Vaskul if she was an enemy or not. [2]

 _"Oh, her? She's with me. No need to fear, my loyal f(r)iend!"_ Vaskul laughed at the minor pun.

And, in response to being called Vaskul's 'F(r)iend', Helmer flipped him off.

 _"Still as hateful to half-assed jokes as ever I see! Honestly, get a sense of humor my dear f(r)iend!"_ Vaskul chortled with laughter.

"So... This is the one who we're supposed to rely on if Black Alice dies somehow?" Ilias poked around at the Knight, not afraid anymore, "It seems to lack darkness energy..."

 _"Oh, that's because Helmed Horrors are designed to be like average folk. Truthfully, they have more darkness in them that animates and empowers them than most normal undead do, the only ones that supercede them to my knowledge are Liches, Full-blooded Vampires, Undead Baramoses raised by Zoma, and Nightshades,"_ Helmer seemed to recall something upon hearing "Baramos."

He suddenly grabbed Vaskul by the cloak and dragged him over to the stairs leading to the first floor, where he then threw Vaskul up at the stairs, pointing at it.

 _"Tch, rude much?... Is there something up here you want to show me Helmer?"_ Vaskul inquired, deciding to ignore Helmer's rude way of leading him where it wanted him to be at.

Helmer kept pointing vigorously up the stairs.

 _"I know there's something up there, but what is it?!"_ Vaskul yelled at his mute Horror.

Almost as if Helmer was rolling his eyes, he pulled out a crossbow arrow and began writing something in to ground...

 _"Hmm... 'B-A-R-A-M-O-S'... 'U-P-S-T-A-I-R-S'..."_ Vaskul's eyes bulged in fright once he realized what Helmer was saying. _"Oh hell no..."_

"What? What is it? What's a Baramos?" Ilias kept asking. Just what could scare Vaskul this much so suddenly?

 _"A Baramos is a rare Demon-Devil hybrid that often vaguely resembles a Avian-Reptile creature... Zoma used to have three_ _disciples that would do his bidding, and two of them were Baramoses, and one of those two was training to become a Master Archfiend like him..."_

"I don't see how this 'Zoma' affects anything... And this might be a different Baramos anyways. I'm sure that there's more than two of them in the world," Ilias thought aloud.

 _"You don't get it! I met Zoma himself and I was nearly obliterated from existence itself!... A Single Baramos can easily usurp your control over your world, and wipe out every single human there, and that's talking about an averageBaramos. Ones that are old and wisened, or trained, like how Baramos Bomus and Gonus were trained by Zoma, can easily conquer, enslave, and destroy entire worlds and establish a terrible Empire if left to their own devices..."_ Vaskul shuddered, faintly hearing the roars of a Baramos ahead. [3]

"W- Well then..." Ilias tried to find a way to make their chances look better, but couldn't.

 _"We're fucked."_ Vaskul finished for her, sighing, he went on, saying, _"If we're especially unlucky and this an Elder Baramos, then we can't even just run back to your world either, because those kinds can easily find and track magic spells and those who casted them."_

"Oh dear me..." Ilias sweated, "This isn't good, not at all..."

 _"Indeed. This isn't good at all,"_ Vaskul looked at Helmer. _"Is the Baramos here on peaceful terms or is he just roosting here? And is he as capable as Gonus or Bomus?"_

Helmer opted to write out the words on the floor instead of futility trying to paint it out with hands and half-assed sign language.

 _"B-A-R-A-M-O-S... I-S... H-E-R-E... O-N... P-E-A-C-E-F-U-L... T-E-R-M-S. H-A-S... B-E-E-N... W-A-I-T-I-N-G... F-O-R... Y-O-U... U-P-S-T-A-I-R-S,"_ Vaskul read aloud. He sighed in relief knowing that, _"Thank god... It's not violent,"_ Vaskul took a deep breath, and turned to his Light Elemental, _"Ilias?"_

"Yes?" Ilias squeaked, terrified at the prospect of meeting something like what Vaskul described.

 _"If you hear fighting, **GET OUT** and destroy the portal, understood?" _Vaskul strictly told her.

"Y-Yes, of course..." She piteously murmured.

 _"Good, good..."_ Vaskul took a deep breath and rose up the stairs.

...

Almost immediately Vaskul was assaulted by a massive heat-wave coming down on him. The Chamber was tinged red, and the distant place swayed from the sheer amount of heat that being emitted. _"You can do it Vaskul, you can do it..."_ He muttered to himself as he ventured down the chamber.

Eventually he came to a place that was scorched black, with a makeshift Dais made up of bodies and bones before it. [4]

On top of it was a Baramos.

 _Oh by the Luminous One, I am completely and utterly fucked..._

The Baramos was dressed much like how Gonus and Bomus were, though his robe was jet-black with a crimson cloak. He wore a silver-white necklace that was jeweled with a Moonstone, and his cloak was pinned with a similar gem. His scales/skin were a light-silver, though not albino like Bomus was. He was massive as well; he was easily five times larger than Vaskul himself... His tail, like Bomus and Gonus, were probably hidden underneath his robes. [5]

He also distinctly had some sort of strange aura of darkness that didn't originate from him... Possibly some sort of ally or friend "ghost" of sorts that was currently dormant?

 **"Ah, so thou hast finally come eh Vaskul? I was wondering if thou would ever acknowledge my presence..."** The Baramos began.

 _"What are you here for, Baramos?"_ Vaskul shot, wanting to get to the point. Might as well put up a brave facade to prevent the Baramos from thinking it was in control.

 **"Ohoho! Thine art quite rude, though thou Knight warned me as so..."** The Baramos laughed.

 _"Helmer? He warned you? How long have you been here?"_ Vaskul questioned.

 **"Oh, I've been hither for about..."** The Baramos pulled out a stopwatch from among the corpses, **"Roughly eight years."**

 _"That long!? How is Helmer still alive!?"_ Vaskul shouted, gobsmacked at the thought of Helmer putting up with a Baramos for such a long time.

 **"Eh, we're like roommates. He stays down there, I stay up here."** The Baramos elaborated, then he cleared his voice, **"Regardless! I've been awaiting ye, and now I wish to offer thou and thine cohorts a proposal!"**

Vaskul blinked, processing this information. So this Baramos wasn't actually here to kill or overthrow him? _"Go on."_

 **"I've heard about thine quest to uncover Emperor Estark, and I wish to accompany ye so that I may gain the Secret as well!"** The Baramos offered.

 _So he's here for the Secret of Evolution... It's bad enough that Ilias knows, but at least she's more or less under my control..._ Vaskul mulled, _Then again, this Baramos said "Estark" instead of his ancient name "Esturk," so he must be very young... And it may help to have a Baramos helping me for a time, he'd help_ _balance out the amount of women I'll probably have to deal with on a daily basis now that the Angels know about me. Still, I can't help but at least try to disinterest him and change his mind!..._

 _"I would warn you that his resting place is filled with attractive, though unsavory women..."_ Vaskul warned.

 **"What kind? The Amazon-Kind, the Banshee-Kind, the Drow-Kind?..."** The Baramos asked, interested to hear what kind of vile monster they would be like.

 _"The Succubi-Kind of Unsavory_ _Women."_ Vaskul answered. Even if he was terrified of what'd happen to him, he still almost fell over laughing when he saw the Baramos' face.

 **"You're not kidding?"**

 _"I'm not kidding. I swear the lesser ones alone will rape a 3 year old boy to death... And all of them are female."_ Vaskul solemnly swore.

 **"Ugh... By the Dead God of Sin Asmodeus damn it... It's a world populated and filled with literal bitches,"** The Baramos cursed, not wanting to leave this wonderfully dark and gruesome world for a perverted one where he was probably the only male monster there. **"Will I be gender-bent if I go there?"**

 _"Um... Good question. Probably not, due to the local monsters there being created by a perverted Elemental, so you'll be fine. (I think.)"_ Vaskul hesitated, but then answered, and gradually got more confident as the conversation went on. This Baramos seemed to be _really_ young, so maybe it was weak enough for him to take down and kill...

The Baramos thought it over, seemingly angry over the thought of such a world, **"I'll take my chances,"** he decided, climbing down from his makeshift throne of corpses.

 _"Oh. Okay..."_ Vaskul cursed mentally. He should've suspected as much from a Baramos. They were renowned for being extremely determined, to the point of coming back from the dead to extract revenge on a killer. _"Very well then... What is your name, Baramos?"_

 **"I am Baramos Sigmus! It is my destiny to gain the Secret of Evolution, and with its power and my own, become a fully-fledged Archfiend and join the ranks of the Great Demon Kings!"** Sigmus shouted proudly as he came up to Vaskul, **"Now then, I assume we are ready to depart for the other world?"**

 _"Indeed we are. Come, let's get going."_ Vaskul sighed as he led the Baramos down back to Ilias and the portal.

...

 _"Ilias? Ah, there you are. Come along, we're going now."_ Vaskul motioned for Ilias to come out.

"A- Ah... I see that's the Baramos you were talking about?..." She stuttered, slightly frightened at the demon, who was nothing like any of the monsters she knew of. Vaskul could understand. He too was actually scared shitless at the prospect of having a Baramos tag along, and for the Secret of Evolution no less! But, his confidence was kept up to a slight hope that this Baramos was very young and was weak enough to be killed without much help.

 _"Yes. It would appear that the Darkness will not be threatened any time soon if we bring both Helmer and Sigmus along,"_ he answered, putting on a calm facade to go with his confidence. He didn't want Ilias to start distrusting him now afterall.

 **"Hm hm hm... I presume this one is your associate?"** Sigmus sneered at Ilias, who seemed quite weak and diminutive in comparison to him. **"She looks tasty."** Sigmus snapped his beak at her, and laughed when he managed to make her flinch, much to her displeasure and consequent glare.

 _"Now, now Sigmus. It wouldn't do to have your first impression of your new allies to be a demonic devil with a taste for flesh... Even though that's exactly what a Baramos is,"_ Vaskul lectured Sigmus.

 **"Hmph. Whatever."** Sigmus strode past Ilias and stood by the portal. **"Everyone has what they needed?"**

 _"Yes."_ Vaskul tapped Helmer by his helmet, and Helmer talked (signed) trash behind Vaskul's back..

"I was just tagging along..." Ilias stated, standing besides Vaskul.

 **"Then let's go!"** Sigmus crouched down and crawled into the portal... The portal was meant for human-sized beings after all.

Vaskul, Helmer and Ilias soon followed suit.

... Something, or _someone_ , seemed to... follow them, jumping from Sigmus and getting near Vaskul instead...

 _"...Huh?"_ Vaskul felt something rather strange brush near his soul, as if to hop along for the ride... It felt like... Despair? _"Curious..."_

* * *

 _*In the Heavens...*_

 _..._

 **"Sssth!"** Sigmus immediately hissed and covered his eyes when he arrived along with Vaskul. Helmer and Ilias didn't react much to it, since both were used to bright flashes and light. Ilias because she was the Goddess of Light. Helmer because he frequently saw Vaskul's soul gems light up like a sun in anger whenever Vaskul's astral projection found or spoke to something that pissed him off.

 _"With that chore said and done, the First Monster Lord and her Six Ancestors should hardly be able to break free now,"_ Vaskul remarked, and while starting to get impatient with the constant ramifications and small nuisances that he had to deal with in order to get Ilias to finally tell him where Estark was to gain the Secret of Evolution, also said: _"Now... We should begin a meeting to form a plan to attack and reseal Estark if things go south while I wrench the Secret from him... Do you know anyone else who can help Ilias?"_

Almost as if either the mention of Estark or the light of Heaven was starting to get to him, he suddenly held his head for a split second from pain... Why was he suffering from a headache? _Probably nothing to worry about... Just stress, that's all._

"I believe Seraph Eden could provide some support from a distance, and I believe Promestein and Black Alice will be interested in this venture," Ilias answered.

 _"Good, good. Get them here now."_ Vaskul was also seemingly cranky from a close encounter with PTSD (Baramos), and a lack of a certain imp (Chrome) to pester. _Speaking of which, where is Chrome? I miss annoying the small imp,_ He idly thought as Ilias guided them to the meeting room.

* * *

 _*Meanwhile with Chrome and La Croix...*_

 _..._

"So... It's really you, Shirome..." Chrome mused, seeing her sister again. However, she could easily tell it really wasn't her as she remembered. She was obviously undead. "I see you've managed to raise yourself as a zombie."

La Croix remained silent as she removed her mask, revealing her face. She looked a lot like Chrome, though with white hair and blue crystals. "You know I don't go by that name anymore, Chrome. You know I'm not really Shirome."

"Does it matter?" Chrome immediately shot back, then recomposed herself. "... So..."

... A bit of an awkward silence passed before Chrome decided to finish her sentence after Shirome missed the hint.

"How have you been doing?" Chrome said shyly.

"Considering my body was practically bisected by an explosion you accidently caused, and then I... Or Shirome to be accurate, had to freeze this body's tissues and replace my blood with preservative fluids and revive myself as a zombie, I would say... Pretty fine actually." La Croix summarized, "How have you been doing?"

"I was upstaged by Vaskul and quickly found myself turned into his apprentice," Chrome admitted, still slightly flustered at the thought of being his apprentice.

"Vaskul? The new lich that just joined and the one most likely to skip out on meetings and barely, if ever, talk to any of the Seekers?" La Croix asked, just to verify.

"Yep. That one." Chrome sighed. "It feels so humiliating to think that I was once one of the best necromancers in the world, and then an even stronger and wiser one saunters along and teaches me just so he can stay in the mansion."

"He teaches you magic? Of what kind?" La Croix was most interested in the thought of learning the magics this strange man used.

"He uses two different types he says. Faerunic and Zenithian, one uses the local magics nearby, and the other uses mana and willpower." Chrome said as she demonstrated Zenithian Magic by casting **Blaze** at the air, shooting forth a small burst of fire.

"Interesting... I assume that was Zenithian Magic?" La Croix guessed.

"Precisely! Zenithian is more of a combat and easy to cast magic, while Faerunic..." Chrome closed her eyes and began chanting _Create Undead_. La Croix watched in fascination as a simple ghoul crawled out of the goop that seeped from the floors. "Though Faerunic is not always complicated. According to Vaskul, he can easily cast something much more advanced by simply thinking about it, so it probably gets easier the more advanced and wiser the caster becomes, and the more they understand the inner workings of the arcane arts."

"Hm..." La Croix studied the Ghoul. It was quite simple minded, but its shape and behavior alone made it a freak even by her standards. While most zombies she made were relatively similar to their previous life and had a similar body-shape, this thing only had a vague resemblance to what could've once been a normal human. It didn't help that the Ghoul was chewing on a bone as well. "I assume this spell doesn't require a corpse?"

"It doesn't. But most beginners will have to have some sort of thing to cast the spell... But since Vaskul didn't want me grinding up all the bones to practice with, he just taught me how to do it without material components. It's quite useful for summoning lower-class undead beings," Chrome answered, then casting **Blazemost** on the Ghoul and burning it to ashes.

"Lower-Class Undead?" La Croix tilted her head in confusion.

"Hm? Oh yeah, apparently where Vaskul comes from, there's four things that help narrow down the endless amounts of undead he can choose from. Two are either Physical or Incorporeal, like the obvious difference between a zombie and a ghost, and non-sentient and sentient, like the difference between you and that ghoul," Chrome elaborated, "Whether something is physical or not doesn't really matter, but sentience, like what you and Vaskul have, are what makes an undead 'Greater' than some average zombie. He said Vampires and Liches are an excellent example of this type of undead."

"Very interesting..." La Croix nodded in understanding, mentally taking notes, "I assume then, that Vaskul is quite open about the information he gives out? I believe he wouldn't really just talk about this unless it was common knowledge for him."

"I guess. I never learned much about Faerun or Nadiria though, but from what I've heard from Vaskul and the few Demons I have summoned with the Lich's permission, there are different types of male and female monsters roaming around those worlds, and Demon Kings like Esturk lurking around in Nadiria," Chrome shrugged. "Even after all of the years I spent learning under him, I still don't know much of anything about where he came from or who he is. The only things I know is that he used to have an old master named Kyous and once knew two other liches known as Acererak and Vecna. That he talks to and deals with something named Mildrath among others... Or at least he used to."

"What a curious man... I hope to be able to meet him again in the near future." La Croix mused, thinking deeply on the knowledge she just learned. "You've certainly gone where no Artiste has gone before, Chrome. Be proud of it. While you've been inferior to me in Necromancy for most of your life... I must give credit where it is due. You learned something I had no idea even existed, and learned an entirely different form of Necromancy..."

Chrome blushed at the sudden praise, "I certainly am, Shirome, I certainly am..."

* * *

 _*Back in Heaven, In the Meeting Room*_

 _..._

"So... Why was I called here again? I believe we were scheduled for next Tuesday," Promestein absently thought as she arrived into the room.

"Indeed, I don't know why we were called here this early." Black Alice gave off an accusing look at Eden.

"What? I didn't call this." Eden responded, unsure of why Black Alice implied her to be the caller of the meeting.

"Rrreeeally? Then why in Heinrich's name was I called from my Tea Party back in Hellgondo all the way into the mountainous center of Sentora?" Black Alice drawled in a cutesy tone, "I know Ilias can be dim at times, but even she wouldn't make something like this happen so quickly without good reason, unlike you, _Third_."

"Tch!" Eden glared at her, "You know I'm the first Seraphim! Lucifina and Micaela were failures, I'm quite clearly not like them! I'm superior to my sisters, and I always will be!"

"I wouldn't be so sure. I'm fairly sure being in constant denial is considered to be a failure in someone," Promestein remarked off-handedly.

"Silence!" Eden shot back, "Both of you know I can easily wipe the floor with you two at once!"

 _"And Estark could wipe the floor with you and the Ancestors,"_ Vaskul joined in as he came into the room.

"Vas-" Promestein began, confused as to how her new associate managed to find a way into Heaven so quickly.

 _"Eh-Hem!"_ Vaskul cleared his throat, cutting Promestein off and getting the bickering Black Alice and Eden to focus on him. _"I would like everyone here to remain calm when they see the giant demonic duck walk into the room. That's all, thank you,"_ he then took a seat.

"What? Demonic Duck?" Black Alice blinked at the man's random comment. That was even more random than _her_ , and she caused all sorts of things to happen! "What are you even talking about...?"

The Three paused when Baramos Sigmus came into the room.

 _... He's a bit funny-looking, actually. Both scary to look at and somehow so damn hilarious at the same time..._ They all generally thought.

 **"... It's rude to stare you know..."** Sigmus muttered as he massaged his temples, already feeling stressed from being around angels and a bright heaven. He honestly preferred that tiny girl and Vaskul over any of this bright and holy shit... **"Also, really? Demonic Duck?"**

 _"Yes. Would you rather be called a Demonic Platypus? Or perhaps a Bipedal Hippo?"_ Vaskul snarked, still cranky from the headache he was suffering from.

 **"Better to be a Bipedal Hippo than a Bipedal Bitch,"** Sigmus retorted.

 _"That's quite funny coming from a race who practically became Zoma's bitches, don't you think?"_ Vaskul and Sigmus were cut off from further insulting by Ilias arriving along with Helmer.

"Now, now you five. Let's not argue... (At least not until those three manage to get over Sigmus' bizarre appearance)." She lightly scolded.

"Oh, Ilias. Who's that?" Promestein looked at Helmer, who gave a light wave in greetings.

 _"That's Helmer. He's my meat shie- My very wonderful and marvelous creation, who also happens to be a mute."_ Vaskul explained as Helmer appeared to (somehow) give him a stink eye behind his back. _"He won't be doing much. He's just there to help if something goes wrong."_

"Oh. Okay." Promestein lost interest in the seemingly human knight. "Why are we here again?"

"Ah, I've called you all here for a special reason..." Ilias said, now starting the meeting, "I've reunited with my old 'friend,' Vaskul, and he had some... _Wonderful_ secrets he was gracious enough to bestow upon me."

 _Strange. Ilias never acts like this. She doesn't think of anyone as truly being a friend, more of a servant or worshiper... Who is Vaskul to her?_ Promestein thought as she formed all sorts of thoughts and hypothesis for who Vaskul was. _Either way, I've found quite the interesting man..._

Meanwhile Black Alice was staring at the oversized hippo she knew as Baramos Sigmus. _Ok. Really, what is this? I have no idea what the hell Sigmus is supposed to be, and I know every type of monster in the world. Is he a human twisted and corrupted by black magic? Is he a magician who ingested a magic mixture of dragon and harpy blood? Is he something else entirely?_ She squeezed her teddy bear in anticipation. _Whatever Sigmus is, I'll be sure to get to know him later on..._

"One of those secrets was about out primordial enemy, Estark," Ilias continued, immediately snapping everyone from their musings. "... My friend, if you would..." She motioned for him to talk before she sat down on her throne.

Vaskul stood up, looking over everyone. _"Estark, as you might know, is an ancient Demon Emperor of Hell, who, until now, has been long forgotten and covered up by the dusts of time. But he still lives. I have been searching for him for a long time now... Even before I met Ilias, I was searching for him to gain the Secret to his power. I am quite frankly not interested in Estark himself. What I want, is the Secret of Evolution, an alchemic mixture so powerful and potent it can grant its users the power of the Gods, and for those who already have godhood or godlike powers?... Well, I am sure you can figure it out,"_ he paused, letting them process what he said, _"But perhaps we should retell a story about some users of the Secret to help make a point. Though I should not tell. It would be better if I got someone else to agree with me that this is fact... Perhaps someone who does know of it... Perhaps someone who is a Demon... Perhaps a Baramos?"_ Vaskul motioned at Sigmus, _"Your turn, Sigmus. After all, you too desire the Secret as much as I do..."_ He finished as he sat down.

 **"And so I shall tell of two prevalent tales of the Secret of Evolution,"** Sigmus stood up and shadowed over everyone, even Eden, in his presence. **"After the fall of Lord Zoma and Emperor Estark, as well as the banishment of Nokturnus, there were three users of the Secret of Evolution. Psaro, Aamon, and Great Mildrath. Psaro was the first to use it, though it did not work as effectively as it could've, due to his rushing of the formula and subsequent insanity. Because of this, Psaro had rapidly mutated over the course of his evolution, and eventually it became too unstable and got him killed... Until he was revived, but that's another story. Aamon's Evolution was more concise and stable, his was far more powerful and agile than Necrosaro's Form, but he grew arrogant. So arrogant, as to where he lost a battle and died before he could evolve to have true immortality. Lastly, we have Grandmaster Nimzo, who still lives even to this day. He was smart. He waited until no one was left, and slowly perfected and adjusted the Secret so that he could take it with relatively little to no issues... That power made him become the Satan of our world."** Sigmus recalled, remembering the tale from back in his youth. **"There is more to their tales, but that's the gist of it. Your turn, Vaskul."** He rumbled as he sat back down.

 _"Hoho, thank you Sigmus... As you can tell, I am not lying when I say the Secret of Evolution has its advantages... But we must take care not to get arrogant and rush it!"_ Vaskul tittered when he saw the lust for power in Ilias, Promestein, and Black Alice's eyes. If things went his way, none of those lusts for power would be satisfied, none save his own... _"Hm? Yes Eden?"_ he then asked, noting Eden had her hand up.

"What is the point? We can easily take over the world as we are now. Why should we risk that for gaining more power?" she inquired, quite clearly not trusting the implications of this Secret and possible insanity.

 _"A good question... Here's another good question. Do you want to transcend the limits of average mortals and gods alike?"_ he looked at Black Alice when he said that, _"Do you want to learn the Secrets of the Multiverse?"_ he looked at Promestein when he said that, _"Do you want true and absolute Godhood?"_ he then asked, looking directly at Ilias, _"Do you want to continue being limited to the ground, or do you want to soar through the skies, and create an everlasting paradise for yourself?"_ he then asked everyone.

Silence passed as nobody answered him.

 _"Because I do."_

... The Five paused in silence as if to think about this.

Slowly, Black Alice and Ilias had smiles that spread from cheek to cheek in a disturbing fashion. Promestein soon followed their example.

"You are not alone, Vaskul!" Ilias' eyes dilated a little, fantasizing about what she could do with _that_ much power.

"I do not know who you two are..." Black Alice giggled in madness, "But I think I already like you two a lot!"

 _"Ho ho... Then I presume, that you two agree to my little idea?"_ Vaskul smirked, knowing that he managed to catch them into his trap... Of course he wouldn't _really_ give any of them the full power of the Secret... He would only give a small fraction of its full potential and use the true Secret for himself, taking it and perfecting it just as Nimzo had, and finally, using the Armlet of Transmutation to take the Evolution even further.

 **"Now then, is there any more concerns that need to be addressed?"** Sigmus grumbled.

No one seemed to be complaining.

 _"Then we shall reconvene when we are ready to unleash our plan..."_ Vaskul and Sigmus stood up, _"Ilias, would you be so kind as to personally continue talking with me? I need to talk to you. Ensure of a few personal things, you know?_ " he inquired to her, causing her to think for a bit.

"... Sure, I see no reason why I shouldn't spare you some of my time," she decided as she rose up and began walking with him.

Eden narrowed her eyes and thought deeply on this and actually began to question Ilias' judgement on this man for once, a thing she never dreamed she would do.

 _I don't believe for a second that he genuinely cares for her like we do... He definitely doesn't care at all._ She silently mused as she glared daggers at Vaskul. She knew for a _fact_ that there was something wrong with him when he returned after bringing that Baramos with him... There was just an aura of... Darkness, no, despair, surrounding him at all times. Granted, it wasn't nearly as obvious as the Ancestors or the Dark Goddess, but while their auras were playful and sometimes silly, his was always oppressive and hateful... It was as if something in him was feeding off of pure despair, pain, and hatred, and it was slowly consolidating its power... _Whatever the hell you are Vaskul, I will make sure to protect Ilias and find out what you truly are!_ she silently swore.

...

 **"Hohoho... I must be going now as well."** Sigmus growled as he got up and began to move to some random place. Where, he didn't know. All he knew was that the world would soon bow before his might... Soon Black Alice followed suite right behind him, smiling childishly. **"Hm? What is it?"** He questioned, noticing the small child walking beside him.

"Oh, I just thought I might want to get to know you a little better~!" She playfully answered, squeezing her teddy bear while she said that.

 **"... Hmph,"** The Gigantic Baramos rolled his eyes and allowed the child to follow him. What's the worst that could happen, letting some kid tag along with him?

 _*At Heaven's Gates*_

"Ah... I presume you are Lord Baramos, correct? (Good Goddess you're ugly...)" Heaven's Gate asked, slightly shocked at how hideous and horrific Sigmus was. "And Black Alice as well..."

 **"Yes."** Sigmus replied. _Hm, love the ring to that... Lord Baramos. Just like Gonus... Though unlike Gonus, I will not have something like **Zoma** constantly supervising and controlling me,_ he thought lightly as he passed through the gates.

 _*In Sentora*_

 _..._

 **"So this is the world of Sentora... Rather amusing at first glance!"** Sigmus chuckled as he scanned the new world around him. **"I wonder how I shall make the name of Lord Baramos known to this pathetic world..."** He mused. **"Perhaps an army... But that would take too long..."**

"Oh, you can easily gain followers among the monsters!" Black Alice interjected in his musings, "You see, most Monsters have a Leader or Queen among their respective races, like the Harpy Queen, Succubus Queen, Slime Queen, and Vampire Queen, etc... But you get the point. Gain their respect and defeat them in one-on-one combat and you could easily gain control of most of the monsters... Especially seeing how your aura alone makes the current Maou look like a joke... But then again, ever since my sister's line took control, the Maous have been a complete and utter disgrace!"

 **"Eheheh... That sounds like a wonderful idea!"** Sigmus cackled, **"Soon this world will be wrapped up in the terror of the Archfiend, Lord Baramos!"** He bellowed.

"Already you make Alice XVI look so weak and pathetic..." Black Alice said, already quite fond of someone as chaotic as her, "I think I'll tag along if you don't mind~!"

 **"Very well then, Black Alice..."** Baramos Sigmus paused for a moment, **"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, don't you think?"** He laughed as he began to move towards the nearest group of humans he could smell.

"Oh ho, I _know_ we'll get along!" She promptly responded, enjoying how the Demon Lord thought and planned. It was so much simpler than Ilias' petty schemes and Vaskul's mysteries!

 _*Some time later, at a Human Settlement in the Grand Noah Region...*_

"Ah! Someone- Anyone! Help! Help us!" Various humans and monsters screamed as explosions and hellfire rocked the small village.

 **"Wahahaha! Thou and Thine doth not knowest that no mortal could ever hope to oppose I, Lord Baramos!"** Sigmus cackled as he took a deep breath and exhaled a large inferno that immediately burned up half of the remaining guards left.

"Guh! So strong!" The Guards shivered and shook before the large demon. "What manner of Devil is this?... No matter, we shall not let an oversized hippo destroy anymore lives!" The Captain bravely yelled as he rushed forth to try and fight him.

 **"Gahaha!"** Baramos threw his claw out and tore through the Captain's shield as if it was wet paper, **"Cry if you want, Fight if you want, Scream if you want - It is all ultimately prayer to I, Almighty Baramos!"** He shook off the shield and stomped the ground, creating a shockwave.

"F- For Ilias!" The Guards then all came to the assistance of their captain, charging at the demon in a group. One managed to cut him, but that wound quickly regenerated. [6]

 **"Mortal insects! Realize your place in this world!"** He bellowed as he chanted **Explodet**. The resulting explosion rocked and levelled the entire village, destroying everything.

... From behind a tree, an excited and gleeful Black Alice came out. "That had to be the best demonstration I've seen yet!" She gleefully cried out as she danced in the falling ashes.

 **"There is more to come, I assure you."** Sigmus licked his beak when he saw a particularly tasty-looking lamia still alive under some rubble. **"Ahaha, a meal..."** He grinned, twitching his claws in a hungry fashion. [7]

"P- Please, no... I swear I'll tell no one about this, just please don't kill me..." She stared in horror as Sigmus pinned her to the ground while he lifted the rubble off.

After that... Well...

The Tribe of Baramos was known for cannibalism for a reason.

"Dear Primal Alice, that was..." Black Alice was at a loss for words as the scarred and beaten Lamia fled in shame and tears.

 **"...?"** Sigmus waited for her to respond in either sheer disgust or apathy.

"Completely awe-inspiring! The way you took your time! Fantastic! The way you made the most of her tail! Excellent! The way you treated her like she was a puppet and a mere slave to be eaten! Wondrous!" She praised, clapping him for his works.

 **"Um..."** Sigmus had an expression that said, " _The Fuck?_ "

"Though I do have to take points off for only snapping her arms at her shoulders, that was pretty quick and impatient of your part. Another thing is how you didn't choke or strangle her while you were feasting, but I suppose you wanted her alive when you ate, so I'll let that slide... But it was overall very great and amazing!" Black Alice applauded, confusing Baramos Sigmus quite a bit, as well as worrying him that this girl may be a bit more freakier than he thought she was... "Though I do have to ask, why did you let her go?"

Sigmus snapped out of his confusion when she said her question, **"Oh, that? Just a whim. I figured that she was the only survivor, and I didn't feel like leaving a message saying 'Baramos wuz here,' or something stupid like that. I wanted someone who was scarred to pass around tales of a supposedly invincible Archfiend that no one could defeat... That would attract much more attention, and thus more servants looking for power, don't you think?"** He answered, trudging along the dirt road with her to the next village to destroy.

"Oh, I might even have to take lessons from you at this rate!" she cheerily stated, satisfied with his reasonable answer.

 **"Hm, yes, yes. I wonder how Vaskul is doing?"** he idly thought as he came to the next town of monsters and humans.

* * *

 _*Meanwhile with Vaskul and Ilias...*_

 _..._

 _"And that is why I stay the fuck away from **Zoma** and Baramoses." _Vaskul just now finished his tale of how he had an encounter with Zoma and Baramos Gonus and Bomus once as he and Ilias sat together in a bed in their private quarters, Ilias hugging him tightly in actual fear of what she had heard.

"Oh dear..." Ilias was at a loss for words, "... That was very visceral and disturbing. Even the ancient monsters weren't as violent and brutal as these demons..."

 _"I know, right? I wasn't even there in physical form, and I still felt goosebumps watching Baramos Gonus torture the people he occasionally enslaved! And I don't even have true skin of my own!"_ Vaskul shuddered, feeling as though Sigmus was, _or has_ , done something very similar by now.

"Um..." Ilias grimaced at the thought of what he must've seen during his adventures as an Astral Projection throughout the multiverse, "Let's take our mind off of that unpleasant topic... What about Kyous? I've heard of him, but I never really gotten to know who he is to you." she asked, silently hoping it wasn't another bad memory.

 _"Oh, Kyous? My old master?..."_ Vaskul looked off in fond memory.

 _"Ah yes... I remember... He may have been a complete douche at times, but he was quite frankly the only person I ever truly held dear and trusted... We first met when my old party had abandoned me and left me for dead in the same crypt I brought you to earlier... He could've easily killed me. He could've strangled me and used my corpse for his experiments... But he didn't. H- He showed mercy... He actually took me in, showed me the truth in life... I bargained a deal with him, and in exchange for my heavy armor and weapons, the same that Helmer now uses, he would teach me Necromancy and other arts of magic..."_ Vaskul seemed to actually relax for once upon reflecting on this memory.

 _"For many years, we would pull infantile pranks and learn together, as Student and Master, and eventually I gained the power of Lichdom when I finally mastered Necromancy,"_ Vaskul closed his eyes contentedly, _"Eventually he died to a pack of adventurers, the same that abandoned me years ago... Though they died quickly afterwards die to my immense power... But Kyous wasn't dead yet. He was a determined man... He came back as A Worm That Walks... Granted, he was made up of insects and arachnids, and now had that putrid smell... But he was still my best friend."_ Vaskul sighed.

 _"Eventually we learned of the Secret of Evolution, and sought to obtain it... One day, Kyous said something about having to leave, thinking that he found where Esturk rested at... I waited, but he didn't return. When I came there, I didn't see him. I didn't see him ever again... I've been alone with Helmer ever since..."_

"I see... I didn't think you've had to deal with so much in your life, Vaskul..." Ilias' eyes welled up at hearing how many things Vaskul had to go through during his mortal years, and how many losses he suffered through and how long he was alone for before he finally met her. It reminded her too much of her own sad life, of how she herself was betrayed and left behind by the people she valued most...

 _"It's fine..."_ Vaskul rested against a pillow, _"I may not be able to avenge Kyous' death, but I can finish our goal, and make him proud at long last..."_

"I see..." Ilias trailed off, unsure of what else to talk about.

"I would've gone and continued our plans out, but... I think we would both benefit from a small rest, don't you think? I'll take the floor."

"It's fine... You can stay beside me in bed. I'm not that cruel. You did give me a brain after all," she said, before beginning to drift off to sleep...

"Oh... Why... Thank you, Ilias..." Vaskul said, shocked that he was offered a spot... Before his head began to hurt... _"Ouch... What is going on? Why is that happening?"_ he mulled, before trying to fall asleep as well...

...

* * *

 _*In the Mind of the Dread Necromancer...*_

 _..._

 ** _"You may have thought me to be dead because of Erdrick, you miserable fool, but I still live on!... Soon I will bring about the end of life and plunge the world into Despair once more! And it will all be thanks to the misery of your life sustaining me..."_** A Tall Demon King with pale-blue skin and four fingers stood in the midst of nothingness. He wore a long red robe with bluish-black pauldrons and a dark-blue cape with a white oval-like cloth fanning out behind his neck. On his head, he wore a lofty black helm with a large, unblinking eye staring out into the distance of the perverted world, and two golden horns that protruded out from the sides of the helm. His eyes were a pale-ivory white with pure black pupils, and they emitted a threatening red glow.

It was Lord **Zoma** , The Master Archfiend; The Source Of All Evil...

 _ **"Soon enough I will return... And none will stand in my way again this time!"**_

* * *

Notes:

[1]: Originally Vaskul had to take the long route via the Void due to being seperated from his body. Now that he's in a physical form that knows specifically where to go, he can easily _Wish_ open a portal between Faerun and the World of MGQ.

[2]: Helmed Horrors are mute, but Helmer (Creative, I know) is intelligent enough to make basic letters and spell out what he wants to say if he can't sign it.

[3]: In this story, Baramos is not a unique demon. Rather, the one first seen in DQ3 that acted as the Big Bad (As in the one dressed in orange) at first was Baramos Gonus (The Purple Undead Dragon thing you fought before Zoma himself) and Baramos Bomus (The one dressed in blue robes and a green cape) is a separate being. I thought this little interpretation after seeing some fanart and my first experience with Baramos Bomus (He was named _Barabros_ in the version I played, so I thought he was the first Baramos' brother or something like that.)

[4]: A Dais is like a small pyramid. You know, that throne-thing the first Baramos sits on when you meet him in DQ3. Just look it up, it's much easier than explaining it.

[5]: In one of the spin-offs of Dragon Quest ( _Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D_ and _Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca's Marvelous Mysterious Key_ to be exact), Baramos Gonus (The Undead Version) got a redesign that removed his wings and showed he had spiky shoulders and a tail that was hidden under his cloak.

[6]: In Dragon Quest 3, there's a hidden regeneration system for the Bosses like Baramos and Zoma, so I figured I might as well make that a natural ability of theirs.

[7]: When you initially meet Baramos, regardless of the version you play, he always makes some sort of threat about ripping you open and devouring your innards/intestines to make sure you never come back. I decided that he and his kind probably enjoy the taste of other humanoid beings and their organs in general.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Wahaha! Didn't expect a Baramos to be thrown into the mix, didja now!?... Anyways, I figured that since Vaskul mostly bides his time and waits, that maybe we should focus on another character while he's doing nothing. Ilias was crossed off since she's mostly going to be near Vaskul, Eden wasn't chosen because she doesn't really do much outside of Ilias' commands, Promestein was considered, but she probably spends her time building and creating things rather than pose an active threat to Luka and Alice, Black Alice was partially chosen because she was responsible for several Monster Kingdoms rebelling against Alice, but she wasn't really seen that much either in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, I decided to pull a Dragon Warrior 3 and had a Baramos who wanted the Secret of Evolution get pulled into the fold because, hell, why not? I think it will be most interesting to see how the self-proclaimed Archfiend does to pose a threat to Sentora, Ilias (The Continent), and Hellgondo as a whole.

Another thing... I'd like to thank all of you guys (again) for practically doubling the reviews I got! This is the most successful story I've ever written, and I hope that you guys continue to criticize and review my works!

...

And so without further ado, I bid you all farewell until next time!

EDIT: As of 2/13/19, I removed the Gore and Lemon scene. Honestly, they were just badly written and hardly relevant to the plot.


	5. Archfiends and Monster Lords

_*With Baramos & Black Alice; near Heaven's Gates*_

 _..._

 **"Hm... Which kingdom should I go to first? Would you happen to know the closest one Black Alice?"** Sigmus mused as he skimmed the map Black Alice gave him, trying to find the easiest kingdom to take over first.

"Well, we're technically near the center of Sentora, so just about any kingdom is viable at this point," Black Alice said, waiting for him to decide.

 **"Mm... So far I believe I can exploit the Safinain Queen Vampire's Greed, the Grangolden Spider Princess' ambition, the Natalian Queen Mermaid's grief, and... I think the... er... Ya-mer-Toi?"** Baramos stared at the faded map and looked at Black Alice to help him out.

"It's Yamatai. Ya-Ma-Tai," she said, pronouncing each syllable so he could understand.

 **"Yes, the Yamatai Shirohebi, I believe I can exploit her hatred towards Humans."**

"Um... Which one? There's two Shirohebis," Black Alice gave a confused look.

 **"Really? It says here in this book there's only one candidate for the Lamia Queen in Yamatai,"** Baramos seemed just as confused.

"But I know there's two! I've been to Yamatai before I met you, and I was sure that I saw two Shirohebis!" Black Alice protested.

 **"I guess we can just go around asking whenever we go to Yamatai then."**

A small moment of silence passed as the two waited for the other to say something.

 **"So... Which one of these Queens is closest to us again?"**

"I told you we're in the middle of Sentora already! There is no 'closest' Kingdom to us right now!"

 **"Okay, okay! Sheesh, you sound like a Banshee on helium."**

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

 **"Oh, I don't know! I guess the answer is not in the sentence I just said!"**

The two were silent for a few moments, before Sigmus cleared his throat, saying: **"So, Vampire?"**

"Eh, yeah. Let's go to the Vampire Queen."

* * *

 _*In the Sabasa Region; Vampire Queen's Castle*_

"Ho hum," Black Alice hummed as she and Sigmus arrived at the Vampire Queen's domain, "It's nice to see the Vampires are still a bunch of gloomy blood-sucking leeches."

 **"You make that sound like a bad thing,"** Sigmus noted.

"Still better than those god-damned hippie vampires I had to deal with during my reign 500 years ago," Black Alice countered as they came up to the gate, "Ugh! Do you know how disgusting it is to see them wear hair-gel and glitter all the time? The countless love stories and cliches that popped up during that time? It was worse than Heinrich beating me up! That blasted hero..."

 **"Wait, hold up. Heinrich? A hero?"** Baramos raised a claw for emphasis.

"What? What about Heinrich?"

 **"... Okay, did he speak in a weird accent and wear glasses?"**

"Um, no..."

 **"Did he commit suicide?"**

"Not that I know of..."

 **"Did he hate gay people?"**

"That's a good question..."

 **"Was he discriminative towards anyone?"**

"I... Maybe? I don't think he was. I believe he fought for co-existence among Monsters and Humans... I don't know about the Angels though."

 **"Was his last name Himmler?"**

"That... Is a good question. I never got to know his last name. I think it was just 'Hein' if I recall correctly..."

 **"Hm... More like Heinrich 'Heil,' I'll be sure to investigate this further later..."** Baramos muttered something incomprehensible to Black Alice, something about _'Those wacky Nazis are at it again goddamit...'_ and _'Better get my tinfoil hat.'_

"Why are you even asking about someone who's been dead for over- Oh look, the gate's open now," Black Alice pointed out that while Baramos was going off gathering evidence for a half-assed conspiracy theory, the Vampires had already opened the gate for them, "Well? Let's go on in!"

 **"Alright, alright. I'll let this case go...** ** _For now_** **."**

Black Alice only sighed at the gigantic bipedal duck. Why were men so hard to understand sometimes?

The duo entered the castle, wary of potential attacks. They noted the ornate and ancient paintings decorating the place, as well as various objects of high value.

"Welcome, fellow Monster and... er... _Something_ ," a thunderous voice boomed out to them, quite clearly belonging to the local Queen. It appears that she didn't feel like greeting them in the flesh yet.

 **"Vampire Queen? What a pleasure. As you may have already noticed, we wish to ask for an audience with you,"** Baramos answered.

"Hm? An audience? Whatever for?" the Vampire Queen questioned, suspicious of the two.

 **"You will find out what our proposal is when we meet face-to-face,"** Baramos answered cryptically.

"Ah, a proposal you say?" the Vampire Queen repeated greedily, "Very well! Go on in and enter. My servants will not attack or rape you... (Not like they'd want to anyways.)" As the Vampire Queen finishes, a door swings open at the top of a staircase, allowing the two to go on.

Baramos ignored the insult and Black Alice's giggling as they ascended the stairs and into the hallway.

 **"Why the hell is everyone here hellbent on insulting me for my appearance?"** Baramos muttered darkly as he snapped his beak at some curious Vampiresses, scaring them away.

"Perhaps because you're A: Male, B: Ugly as Hell, and C: No one knows who you are yet," Black Alice playfully answered.

 **"The key word in that answer would be y** ** _et_** **, I suppose,"** Sigmus sighed as they arrived at the end of the hallway, ready to gain the allegiance of the Vampire Queen.

The Queen, like the many other Monsters of this world, was a beautiful woman.

She had golden hair curled into drills, with royal, yet skimpy, gothic clothing with a long-flowing cape as dark as the night. Two bat-like wings fanned out in her hair, and her eyes were a blood-red, lusting for blood. And like the two servants by her side, she had two sharp fangs that showed even when her mouth was closed.

"Hm. Your smell is a lot less putrid than I imagined," she noted, already insulting Baramos. She also seemed to be judging and analyzing both him and Black Alice, and she seemed to recognize Black Alice for some odd reason...

Her two lieutenants nodded in agreement.

 **"And I expected you to be a bit more graceful when it comes to showing off your body. I imagined a Queen would care about her appearance and style more than the average slut,"** Baramos shot back.

"Oh? It would appear this hippo has _fangs_ , oddly enough. But do you have the venom to support them?" the Vampire Queen chuckled, "But enough talking! You came here for to offer me a proposal, and I expect to hear one."

 **"Hm, very well then,"** Sigmus cleared his throat, **"I am the Archfiend, Lord Baramos Sigmus! I have come to you to offer you a chance to rebel against your pitiful ruler you call a 'Monster Lord,' and become something infinitely more! I offer you a chance to freely feast upon and enslave the race of Man, so that you may never face extinction or starvation. And above all else, I offer you a chance to preserve yourselves against the plans that scheming Primal Elemental of Light plots to use in order to obliterate you and the rest of Monsterkind completely!"**

The Vampire Queen raised an eyebrow at this, and seemed quite interested in the idea of becoming independent of the current Monster Lord's policies regarding the treatment of Humans and never having to fear who she assumed to be Ilias' wrath, "I presume I would be stuck serving under you if I accepted this proposal?" she inquired.

 **"No. I have better things to do than concern myself with governing this world... yes, it will be my associate, Black Alipheese the Eighth that shall lead you all on when that disgrace Alipheese the Sixteenth is dethroned,"** Sigmus gestured to Black Alice, who was currently waving hello to them, **"Of course, I expect you to obey me if I feel so inclined to give out orders."**

The Vampire Queen recoiled in shock at the reveal of Black Alice's true identity. It seemed that she really did recognize her, "So both the Eighth and a so-called Archfiend has come here offering me this..." she regarded the two some more, "I would assume that you plan to attempt to try and get others to join you?" she asked.

 **"But of course! I am a fair being... at times, but I will give those who are worthy a chance to prove themselves to me,"** Sigmus answered.

"And what if I decide to accept your proposal and aid you in battle myself? Where would I go to find you then?" the Vampire Queen questioned again.

"Oh, you can find us at the Old Maou's Castle!" Black Alice said out of turn.

Baramos glared at her for answering when he was supposed to be the one talking, but continued, saying **"Yes, you will find us at the Old Maou's Castle... And if you doubt my power, then go ahead and doubt. But come to my domain, and you will see firsthand the might of Lord Baramos!"** Sigmus bellowed, rising to his full height and towering over everyone else in the room.

"Hm," the Vampire Queen gauged Baramos, and seemed to contemplate attacking him for a brief moment, but decided it wouldn't be a wise decision the next, "We shall see about that Archfiend, but I will lend you my support for now."

Baramos and Black Alice smiled from ear-to-ear.

 **"Indeed, we shall see about that... and you will see that you have made the wisest decision you have ever made in your life!"** Baramos cackled as he casted _Greater Teleport_ , causing him and Black Alice to vanish somewhere...

* * *

 _*In the Middle of some Mountain Range to the North of Hellgondo*_

 _..._

 **"God damn it Black Alice why did you give them a location we haven't even visited or seen yet!?"** Baramos screeched at her in some mountain range.

"Calm down Baramos! That castle is the same one I used when I was the Maou. It's only natural that Monsters who know who I am would expect me to return to my old domain. Remember, just because you're the bigger and scarier one doesn't mean you're the one Monsters will associate with the 'Archfiend' at first if they know I'm running around. They'll probably think it's me with a new title to avoid confusion with the current Monster Lord," Black Alice explained quickly, leading the demon to a secluded pathway in the mountains.

 **"Ugh... whatever,"** Baramos relented, deciding an actual base of operations was more important at the moment as the two travelled.

"See? It's not so bad!" Black Alice said happily as she and Baramos arrived at the supposed castle.

It was a grand sight despite its ruined state, the Castle was large and expansive, countless towers surrounding its walls, with a massive swamp surrounding it.

 **"Hmph. I've seen better,"** Baramos scoffed as he gazed at the ruins of the Old Maou's Castle.

"Well duh, it hasn't been used since Heinrich killed me, so obviously it fell into disrepair," Black Alice deadpanned.

 **"I knew that! I was talking about when it was at its prime. You had so many ways to discourage and intimidate heroes with your secluded castle and swamp, but you wasted them! You could've easily poisoned the swamp like so,"** Baramos snapped his fingers, and chanted _Desecrate_ , causing the trees to immediately wilt and blacken, and the waters to turn a sickly purple. Certain abominations also began rising and writhed within the swamps as well...

"... I was a bit busy waging a war against Humanity at the time..." Black Alice muttered, secretly impressed by the show of power.

 **"Then you should've prepared before you started your war!"** Baramos said.

"How can I prepare when Humans are constantly spying and waiting for me to fuck up!?" Black Alice argued.

 **"Ever heard of smuggling? Or perhaps you could've resorted to crime and lies, and fool the Humans into thinking that it was just a bunch of Monster Criminals stockpiling stolen goods,"** Baramos lectured.

"... Point taken," Black Alice admitted.

 **"Yes, well putting that aside, there is quite frankly no way that you and I can repair the actual Castle itself and improve it within a few weeks like I told the Vampire Queen, and then we** ** _still_** **confront the other Queens as well,"** Baramos said, getting back to the problem at hand.

"Yes, I don't see how we can get anyone to fix this in time for us... Unless you can summon someone with magic?" Black Alice said hopefully.

 **"As a matter of fact, I do have a spell that can do that... But it's quite risky. I am not sure how the Monsters of my world will react to this one... And if they'll be disciplined enough to restrain themselves should they indulge in this world's temptations,"** Baramos mused.

"Why are you afraid for us? Usually we either enslave or outright kill our mate during sex, unless we decide to hold back," Black Alice questioned.

 **"Oh, I'm sure the weaker ones will fall to your wiles and die during sex just like any man, but there are some more powerful Monsters that are misogynistic, and most sane Monsters love to kill anyone they can get their hands on... And sex is a perfect opportunity to pull just that off,"** Baramos said, **"In short, the Monsters of my world are quite barbaric and may actually ignore my commands to... Have their way with this world's denizens if I am not careful enough."**

"Couldn't you just rule them by brute force and fear?" Black Alice asked.

 **"Oh yes I could, but it would be difficult to keep track of those who would betray me and those who would obey me if I did that, and I prefer to have a positive and high morale among my troops,"** Baramos answered.

"... Well, who cares if a few Monster Girls have to die! It's their fault for being too weak to handle having sex with a new species! Let's summon your world's Monsters regardless of the consequences!" Black Alice encouraged.

 _Oh wow. She doesn't even care for her own kind. I guess I might as well summon them anyways,_ Baramos thought as he chanted _Summon Monster IX_ , and watched as his calls were summoned by...

A shit-ton of Monsters.

 **"Holy crap. I didn't even think it was possible to get more than one Monster, but it looks like my world still remembers the might and power of the original Archfiend,"** Baramos whistled as he scanned the crowd of creatures.

There were a wide variety of creatures, from blobs of slime with comical faces of varying colors, the green ones always having a midget knight-like person riding them and wielding a sword and shield, to small children with oversized pitchforks and small wings, to bluish-purple bat-like creatures with large and blunt fangs with antennae, to bipedal boars with ragged clothing and a crudely-made metal spear, to simple flames with faces on them and finally some small greenish men in cloaks wielding bows and arrows. There were other Monsters underneath these weaker ones as well, and these seemed stirring quite quickly... [1]

These other Monsters were strange and bizzare, some were large and muscular blue cyclopean giants with fur togas wielding nothing but a log as a club. Some were men wearing garish pinkish-red armor with an axe and shield. Some were literally just empty suits of animated armor with a sword and shield, but these were accompanied by strange jellyfish-like creatures. Some particularly strong ones were pink, bull-like demons with large white wings and wearing green gloves and boots while carrying a large trident. Some particularly stupid ones were green, goblin-like giants with fur togas not unlike the Cyclopeans, but while the Cyclops had log-like clubs, these goblinoid giants had wooden maces.

"My god... I never would've thought that there were so many male Monsters... And I never would've thought they would be so _inhuman_ ," Black Alice gazed at them, captivated by the new Monsters. She seemed to adore the blue slimes in particular.

Some monsters began to stir and get away from the pile that the Monsters had landed in.

Two were both of the mentioned bull-like demons, but one had yellow skin with blue wings and gray clothing.

One was one of the goblin-like giants, though his skin was a bit silvery-gray from age, and he carried a large machete-like weapon on him along with his club.

The last was an orange Cyclops wearing a blue toga.

"Vell, vell, vell!" the pink bull demon spoke with a heavy accent, "Vhat do ve have here? A Baramos? Vhow exciting!"

"I presume you want us to serve under you?" the yellow demon spoke.

 **"Indeed. Since you four seem to be the most capable and powerful at the moment, may I have your names?"** Baramos inquired.

"I am Belial, though sometimes I go by Zarlox," Belial, the yellow demon, said.

"I... Am... Atlas... Strongest... Of... My... Kin," Atlas, the orange Cyclops, boomed, his voice loud and slow.

"Er... Wha's dis? Iz was just takin' a nap an' now I'ma 'ere! Wha'sa goin' on 'ere!" the Troll began to panick, but quickly stopped himself once he saw Baramos, "Oh, uh... Iz... am'a... Golok, da Gatekeeper."

"I am Großmesser," the pink-bull demon belched, "I know vot you're vinking. Vy do I haf a big fork, not a big knife!? Vell... I just do, ja?"

 **"I, your new master, am Baramos Sigmus, the new Archfiend that shall continue what Baramos Gonus and Lord Zoma could not!"** Sigmus proudly proclaimed, **"I have summoned you all to act as my support and personal army in case my allies decide to betray me... and to repair the castle over there,"** Baramos pointed to the ruined Castle, **"In any case, I have to be going now that at least four of you know my command. If you think it below you to do such things, then make the grunts do it,"** Baramos said as he turned to leave.

"Hey, wait!" Belial complained, "What are we supposed to do after that!?"

 **"I dunno. Go and cause havoc I guess. Keep in mind however that the local female Monsters here are actually rapists, but you can go ahead and do whatever you want with them. Just be sure not givve away our location,"** Baramos shrugged, **"I** ** _really_** **have to get going and see some potential allies, so I'll see you later!"** Baramos _Teleport_ ed away with Black Alice...

...

"Vell, who vants to vake the grunts do za dirty work and drink zome beer!?" Großmesser shouted as he pulled out a beer mug out of nowhere.

The Monsters that were conscious cheered as Großmesser had his Imps begin passing out beers and rebuild the Castle and had his magicians raise a barrier around the area...

* * *

 _*At the Gold Region*_

"So, you decided to go after the Spider Princess now huh?" Black Alice chirped as the two walked towards where they assumed the Spider Princess dwelled at.

 **"Yes, her cruelty and prejudice against Humans makes her an easy target to influence, unlike those other Insect Queens,"** Baramos explained as they headed towards her domain, **"Though, I have to wonder why she's called a Princess. She's the ruler of the spiders isn't she? And if she's a ruler, she should be called a Queen."**

"Actually, she was the Queen of all Insectoid Monsters, but her cruelty to even her own brethren caused her to get disgraced and dethroned," Black Alice answered, "Ever since then, she was called the Spider _Princess_ instead of _Queen_ as an insult to her stupidity."

 **"I would actually take that as a compliment, honesty. The root of Prince, and therefore Princess, is Princeps, which means First, Eminent, Chief, or Ruler. Therefore, being called a Spider Princess technically means 'First of the Spiders' or 'Ruler of the Spiders' or even 'Most Eminent of the Spiders,'"** Baramos laughed at the unintentional compliment the other Queens gave to their supposedly most brutal and cruel one.

"Huh, you're actually right. You could probably even use that to get on her good side and convince her to join you even more," Black Alice noted, "How do you know about the whole 'Princeps' thing? Not many people know about it."

 **"Oh, in Vaskul's version of the Abyss there's a powerful Demon Lord named Demogorgon. I don't know much about him except for that since he was so powerful and intelligent, he could take over several layers of the Abyss... Which is apparently something that's damn hard to do for just one layer. so I guess that since he's the closest thing to a leader the Abyss has, he called himself the Demon Prince. I guess he already knew about the 'Princeps' and the cliches surrounding those who take a title like 'Demon King' or 'Demon Lord,'"** Baramos tried to explain.

"Vaskul's version? Does that mean you come from another world entirely?" Black Alice asked.

 **"Why yes, I do come from another world separate from that of Vaskul's. Vaskul's world is called Faerun, while mine is called Alefgard or Nadiria... there are other worlds, but we don't usually explore them due to how hard it is to explore the void in between,"** Baramos said, **"Ask Vaskul or Promestien about those kinds of things, I don't really know much about interversal travelling."**

"Really? Then how did you come to learn of Vaskul if your worlds are separate?" Black Alice tilted her head in confusion.

 **"Oh, Vaskul is someone who can project their mind and soul outside of their body to explore the Multiverse, and he just so happened to come across mine while** ** _Lord Zoma_** **was alive. I've heard about his exploits and feats across the Multiverse, and how he was seeking the Secret of Evolution, which I was also searching for too, so I came to his lair and waited for him to return along with his Helmed Horror,"** Baramos answered.

"Oh... Vaskul really gets around, doesn't he?" Black Alice mused.

 **"He certainly does, he certainly does. I sometimes wonder if he's seen Ao or Azathoth themselves in person with all the things he's done..."** Baramos said quietly, reflecting on the older Demilich's incredible age.

Eventually the two came to a cave covered with webs.

"This is the place. I'm sure the Spider Princess dwells here," Black Alice said as she carefully stepped through the cobwebs, "Be careful not to get entangled! Top Ranking Arachne have the ability to distort space-time with their magic and webs, and I'd prefer you not to cause the cave system to collapse trying to destroy their spell."

 **"Hm, all I hope for is that this cave doesn't get too narrow for me later on..."** Baramos muttered as he hunched over to avoid the ceiling, trying to navigate the corridors and passages as well as Black Alice could, but to no avail; he was just too large to fit in here normally.

Soon enough the two came across a spider-girl with red-violet colors and light-blue markings on her abdomen. Her six eyes were a striking scarlet.

"What the..." the Arachne Lord could only look at the two random intruders with absolute confusion, "What are you two doing in here?"

"Hiya! We were looking for an audience with the Spider Princess, as we have a little proposal we want to make!" Black Alice cheerily smiled.

"Er..." normally, the Arachne Lord would've just killed them, but seeing how large Baramos was, and seeing how small and narrow the caves were... "Sure, follow me."

"Thank you!" Black Alice skipped past the webs as Baramos grumbled, trying to get the cobwebs off of him.

The three came to a large, damp, and gloomy chamber absolutely covered in webs. Several large pillars were strung together, and seemed to form platforms and walkways for the spiders, and in the middle of the room lied a large cocoon-like web with a massive spider resting on top of it.

It was the Spider Queen, dressed in a black and white kimono with ornate cloths covering her abdomen and forelegs. Her purple hair was tied up in a long ponytail with some golden jewelry, and she seemed to regard Baramos and Black Alice passively, as if they weren't a real threat.

"Oh? Visitors? How interesting... It's rare to see someone come here of their own will," the Spider Princess mused, observing the two from her silk throne.

 **"Greetings Spider Princess! I am the Archfiend, Lord Baramos Sigmus, and I have come here to offer you a small proposal,"** Baramos greeted, though the Spider Princess seemed notably irritated by being called a "Princess."

"A proposal? How interesting. What does..." the Spider Princess tried to discern what Baramos actually was, "... _something_ , have to offer me?"

 **"I offer you a chance to enslave Humanity and become independent of that pathetic excuse you call a Monster Lord! I have made myself aware of the events taking place as of late, and it disgusts me to see such a pathetic being rule and restrict a race that could easily destroy and enslave the race of Man!"** Baramos claimed, **"Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to destroy Man, and establish the Monsters as the supreme race!"**

Now the Spider Princess was genuinely interested, "Truly? You want to rebel against Alipheese? What a wonderful idea, I had a similar one myself! But tell me, how can you hope to defeat her in combat? She isn't the Maou for a reason you know," the Spider Princess countered.

 **"Bah! You shame yourself by calling that overgrown reptile powerful! She is nothing compared to me! It disappoints me to see such a weakling dare take power! She can't even control her own subjects, much less her kingdom! Why should you continue serving that fool?"** Baramos boomed, shaking the caves.

"My, my, it takes quite a bit of bravery to mock the Maou in front of a Queen, but I have yet to see prove of your power," the Spider Princess grinned, liking Baramos more and more by the minute.

 **"Have you, by chance, heard of a seemingly random case of villages being destroyed?"** Baramos asked.

"Why, yes I have... Would I be wrong in assuming you caused that to happen?" the Spider Princess guessed.

 **"Correct,"** Baramos mentally yelled out in triumph. At long last he was getting some recognition!

"Ah... So, from what I see, you apparently have the balls to openly rebel against the Maou and destroy countless villages, consequently slaughtering men, women, and children of all races. Do you have any remorse for that?" the Spider Princess noted, summarizing what Baramos just said.

 **"Remorse? Such a concept is foreign to me. I have no idea why anyone would feel regret over killing and eating a child, much less usurp and execute a tyrant. I said I wanted to usurp and kill the Maou while destroying and enslaving Mankind. I intend to do so. There is no point in trying to go down a middle path, and I most definitely will not stand for coexistence with the same race that attempts to kill me everyday and allow the Maou who is supposed to support and protect us go unpunished!"** Baramos bellowed, seemingly outraged by the thought.

"Oh? Now that's more inspiring than any speech the Fifteenth or Sixteenth Monster Lord has _ever_ given, and that was only a few sentences long," the Spider Princess remarked, impressed by Baramos' response, "But a revolution is nothing without supporters. Do you have any at the moment?"

 **"I have Black Alicefeeze Fatalbern the Eighth by my side right now,"** Baramos motioned to Black Alice, **"And you can go ask the Vampire Queen where her loyalties lie at the moment... I haven't even mentioned my own kin, who are currently residing in the Old Maou's Castle."**

"So you have Alice the Eighth, the Vampire Queen, and supposedly more beings that are somewhat like you residing in Black Alice's Old Castle, which you have taken for yourselves once more..." the Spider Princess pursed her lips, thinking it over, "What do I get in return? What do I get for supporting you? Am I to serve you instead of the Alice the Sixteenth?"

 **"No, you will serve Black Alice, who will in turn be supervised by me to ensure she doesn't get out of hand. No, I have greater things to be concerned with, such as that troublesome Primal Element you call 'Ilias.' Yes, I have ways to ensure she is... Taken care of, along with her Angels. Ultimately however, your reward is independence. For supporting us, you will gain a large chunk of the loyalist Queens' territories and become your own Kingdom with your own laws. Black Alice's purpose is merely to ensure you and the other Queens do not go to war with each other, and to advise and guide you all in times of dire crisis,"** Baramos answered.

"Ah... That's a wonderful reward... Not only do you offer to kill that weak excuse of a Maou, but you offer me a chance to gain my former power and title back along with even more... And you say that you will take care of even Ilias herself... All for supporting you," the Spider Princess smiled, "How can I turn something so wonderful away?"

 **"So you'll join us, Spider Princess?"** Baramos assumed

"... Don't call me a 'Princess,'" the Spider Princess frowned.

 **"Why? Is 'Princeps' not the root for 'Princess?' And doesn't 'Princeps' mean 'First,' or 'Ruler,' or even 'Eminent?' Does Spider Princess not mean 'First of the Spiders,' or 'Ruler of the Spiders,' or perhaps even 'Most Eminent of the Spiders?' That is not a title you should be ashamed of, Spider Princess,"** Baramos inquired, using the same idea that he and Black Alice were debating over their trip to the caves.

"Truly?" the Spider Princess looked at the Arachne Lord, who only nodded, "Hm, it seems I was wrong about that title then... Perhaps my enemies have only given me something much more than what a Queen could ever be," the Spider Princess looked off in thought, thinking about the proposal Baramos made.

After a moment of silence, the Spider Princess looked at Baramos.

"Very well then. I'll take up your offer. You have the support of the Spiders now," she confirmed.

Baramos and Black Alice grinned, glad that they also got her on their side.

 **"I assure you Spider Princess, you won't regret this decision... Now, onto the Mermaid Queen and Shirohebi..."** Baramos and Black Alice turned away to go, but the Spider Princess called out to them, saying:

"Worry not about the Mermaid Queen. I will send an ambassador there and another to Cassandra to offer a chance to join you... Think of it as my way of saying thanks for informing me about the true nature of my title," she said, waving them off.

 **"Ah... Thank you, it's much appreciated!"** Baramos waved a claw back as he and Black Alice _Teleport_ ed away, leaving the Spider Princess.

* * *

 _*Somewhere near the forests and mountains of Yamatai*_

 _..._

"So..." Black Alice started, "We're going after the banished Shirohebi, right?"

 **"Of course,"** Baramos confirmed as they walked through the forests, trying to find the white lamia, **"She is the one that got banished from the village by the Humans. Her sister on the other hand got to stay and enjoy the luxuries and worship the Humans would give her. It's obvious that we should aim for the Elder one instead of the Younger one,"** Baramos said as he clawed a pathway through the trees.

"Hm, I suppose you're right. Would've been more fun to see the younger Shirohebi's response to our proposal though," Black Alice mused as she followed the giant demon.

 **"Though, I have to wonder why the Monsters are outright worshipped as gods in this part of the world. In every other place on this world, Monsters are either feared, hated, or discriminated against by the Humans. Why is it that this one place is a sanctuary for the Monsters?"** Baramos questioned.

"I suppose it's because of all the mountains surrounding the place, and the fact that Yamatai is on a peninsula. I guess that being separated from the other societies and Ilias' faith caused them to develop their own culture and outlook on life entirely," Black Alice answered, remembering that Yamatai was far, far away from other Human Kingdoms or Villages.

 **"Quite interesting... I wonder how they'll react to me or my servants?"** Baramos wondered, knowing that most Humans back in his world would either fight or run away the moment they saw a monster.

"I would assume that they would either see you as something above even their 'Gods' or see you and the others as demons and mockeries of creation," Black Alice assumed, remembering the hideous and somewhat comical appearance of Baramos' new servants. She was particularly fond of those blue slime blobs with cute faces on them...

 **"Hm. Maybe we should've gone to Yamatai afterall..."** Baramos chuckled at the thought of being worshipped like a god by his worst enemies.

Soon enough, the two came to a relatively small and quiet shrine.

"Here it is, this is where the Elder Shirohebi supposedly lies," Black Alice said as she led Baramos to it.

 **"Quite a nice place... Reminds me of Jipang..."** Baramos sighed, relieving the memory of those quiet isles that the Orochi used to control as Himiko.

"Just wait here, I'll get the Elder Shirohebi out for you since you can't quite fit in here at all..." Black Alice said as she entered the shrine.

Black Alice smiled, humming a small tune as she skipped into the shrine and to the white lamia.

The Elder Shirohebi was a quiet and humble Lamia, with pale skin and equally white hair and scales. Her kimino was an ivory white, and was fastened by a dark-purple obi. Her hair was decorated with two vermillion flowers, and the end of her tail had small red markings as well.

She seemed to be quietly mediating to herself, and looked to be in peace.

"So..." Shirohebi-sama's eyes opened, showing that they were a striking scarlet red, "Here I see a former Monster Lord and something most unnatural come to me... How curious. Why are you two here?" [2]

"Ah, I believe the Archfiend can explain his proposal to you better than I can," Black Alice said.

"A proposal? To me? How strange that you come to me instead of my sister... I can only assume that you have something that would harm Humans and go against the Maou's commands," Shirohebi-sama said.

"You'll never know unless you speak to him~!" Black Alice teased as she skipped away.

"... I suppose I can be bothered to disrupt my meditation just this one time," Shirohebi-sama mused as she slithered outside to meet the Archfiend.

Outside, Baramos quietly waited as the two exited the shrine and came to him.

 **"Ah... So you are willing to listen to me. Excellent,"** Baramos said.

"I presume you are the supposed Archfiend that's been causing so much havoc and chaos lately?" Shirohebi-sama inquired.

 **"Yes, I am... How strange that an outcast leading a rag-tag team of Monster Extremists in such a remote location would be know of my activities,"** Baramos chuckled, amused by her perception.

"Just because we're so far out does not mean I cannot scry out the rest of the world," Shirohebi-sama informed, "And you need not to tell me what you want out of me. I know you desire to usurp the Maou and enslave Humanity."

 **"Oh? You show more initiative than I expected..."** Baramos smirked slightly, **"Then I suppose you have already thought about what your answer is, and what the reward is for assisting me?"** he said.

"Yes, I know of your allies and enemies, how you will reward those who serve you... And of your supposed power and brutality. But what about your strategy? You claim this to be a revolution, but in all honesty it is just an extremist movement using terrorism against Humanity not unlike that of Ilias Kreuz. The only difference is that you are something else entirely and have the support of a few kingdoms," Shirohebi pointed out, still as calm and stoic as ever.

 **"Am I a terrorist?"** Baramos began pacing around her, **"All I am doing is restoring the legacy of the Eighth and reminding this world that it is survival of the strongest and smartest. I do not hate Humanity... that much, I only despise them because they hide themselves from the truth. The truth that they are no different from us Monsters. The truth that they claim to be good, honorable, and merciful, yet they constantly attack and belittle those different from them. Hell! I even know of a man who raised and charmed a whole nation of Humans into wiping out another sect of Humanity just because they were different from them. That same man, along with many other so-called 'Heroes' hide and lie to themselves so that they may continue killing and slaughtering those who disagree and are different from them, whether it be Monster or Human. I myself am somewhat guilty of this. I claim to be usurping a tyrannical Maou who prevents us from reaching our ultimate destiny, but in truth I myself am even worse in some ways! But at least I accept and pursue it. I am better than most not because of my power or mind, but because of what I know myself as. I know myself to be something of pure evil and hatred, but I know that, and I accept that. But I will not stand for the Maou and Ilias, who claim to be just and right, when they have been waging a pointless war for time untold! I refuse to accept the fact that they themselves are just as evil, no, even worse than I am! I will not allow delusional lunatics to stop and derail us from the natural path that all beings are doomed to follow, the path that ultimately leads to us becoming 'evil' in the process, the path that everyone will inevitably follow! They will either die as a 'Hero' or live long enough to see themselves become the Villain!"** Baramos boomed, pointing out the flaws of the Maou, Ilias, and himself.

"I may not agree with your ideals or views on life..." Shirohebi mused, "But I, along with my followers, have hated Humans for quite some time now... And the current Maou is not effective in the slightest, and the Eighth was remembered for her effectiveness and skill in governing and ruling over the kingdoms. Consequently, joining you would be wise."

 **"So you agree?"** Baramos asked for confirmation.

"I do. I will have my followers help you whenever possible," Shirohebi said passively.

 **"Excellent! If you wish to speak with me further, meet me and Black Alice at the Old Maou's castle,"** Baramos said.

"I will definitely make sure to see you and your allies there," Shirohebi mused quietly, "I don't want to fight for a sde completely devoted to absolute chaos and darkness after all..."

Baramos Sigmus and Black Alice smiled as they _Teleported_ back to their domain, gleeful at the fact that their plans were coming together so well.

* * *

 _*With Luka & Alice XVI, at San Ilia*_

 _..._

As Luka and Alice took a seat in the Tavern to rest, a Lamia, the same one who attacked Luka on his way to San Ilia, came to offer them a drink. He noticed the obvious eye she was missing.

"Wha- What happened to you?..." He asked hesitantly. Angel Halo didn't do _that_ did it?

"Oh, this?" She pointed to her missing eye. Luka nodded. "It's... An injury I got when I tried to escape from the Archfiend."

"Arc-fiend?" Alice said, repeating the word. "Who is this 'Arch-Fiend', and what does she look like?" She inquired.

" _He_ , Baramos, looks extremely hideous to say the least... Ever saw one of the rare male Goblins illustrated in some of the History books? He kind of looks a bit like that, but more reptilian, with some avian features." She firmly corrected Alice, still remembering her near-fatal encounter with the most definitely male Baramos.

"Hm, can't say I have." Alice shrugged, but was interested in the thought of a Male Monster being able to do that to the Lamia. Typically Male Monsters were never purely of monster blood, and had at least half or more human blood in them, which often took generations of breeding to accomplish... At least that's what she assumed from one of Tamamo's sessions anyways.

"Oh, well..." The Lamia tried to find the right words to describe him. "He's huge, like, around five times the size of a normal house, with skin as pale and colorless as ivory, and has hands with only three fingers that end in sharp claws and he also seemed to have a large bump-like spike on his head with a beak and two simple holes for ears. He wore a large, flowing robe blacker than the night, and had a cloak bloodier than the villages he destroyed. You'd be scarred by just looking at him." She shuddered, vividly remembering her encounter with him.

"Sounds horrifying..." Luka murmured, disturbed by the thought of such a demonic beast.

"I haven't even gotten to what he's done already within the month he's made his presence known..." She said quietly, "The way I've seen and heard of it, he's demolished hundreds of small settlements and murdered countless people already, and rumors say he's planning with some lunatic girl to take over the Monsters and destroy the World of Man in his castle."

At the mention of that last rumor, Alice's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Where is this 'Baramos?'" She demanded, glaring at the lamia.

"Oh, um..." She tried to think back to when she heard of that rumor.

"Here, fifteen gold if you tell us." Luka offered, throwing a small bag of money at the waitress.

"I remember now!" She promptly said, pocketing the gold. "Supposedly, Archfiend Baramos has taken up residence in an abandoned Castle built back in the Great Monster Wars. It's on a Mountain range you see, and can't be climbed by any normal means that I know of. I've tried to see myself after using what little magic I knew, to see what he's doing, but I found that the Castle is surrounded by poisoned swamps and has a large magic barrier protecting it... And that was after I climbed the countless mountains surrounding it with months and months worth of supplies of food and water. A human like you could never hope to scale all of the mountains, much less get past the swamp and barrier."

"Oh god... He's dwelling in the old Maou's Castle... And the swamps are poisoned, with a large magic barrier surrounding it?... That definitely makes it so hardly anybody can get in now..." Alice seethed, gritting her teeth. "Anything else about Baramos you can tell us?"

"I can tell you from personal experience that he's cannibalistic and sadistic. He loves to devour fresh corpses and slowly devour people alive," She ignored the questioning look the two gave her, "... Moving on, he's easily stronger than a Dragon, with magic that's even greater than that. He destroyed an entire unit of trained and valiant guards with only one spell," The Lamia sighed, realizing that was all she knew of him. "As much as I'd love to tell a Hero like you what Baramos is capable of, I'm afraid I don't know anything else. All I know is that Baramos must be killed before he throws the World into chaos," She said, shivering a bit. "S- Sorry, I should get back to work..." She meekly said as she returned to her duties.

Alice was quietly seething in pure anger from this news.

"Erm... Alice? What should we do?... If this 'Baramos' keeps up what he's doing, then by the time I even get all of the Four Spirits, it'll be too late." Luka asked, scared by the prospect of fighting such a powerful demon. He could barely use Sylph as he was now, how could he ever hope to stand up to such a powerful foe?

"Ssssth..." Alice's snake-like traits showed through her disguise, her forked tongue briefly poking out. "You worry about the Spirits... I will make sure this petty 'Archfiend' doesn't usurp me. No one has defeated a Fateburn and taken the title of Monster Lord yet, and I do not intend for some abominable _thing_ to achieve it now," She proclaimed, "I am sure that he can't handle even _one_ of the Heavenly Knights, much less all four at once with the Maou helping."

"You're going to send _all_ of them to kill just one person? I know that he's probably strong Alice, but that's overkill, don't you thi-" Luka was interrupted.

 ** _"I don't intend for a single cell of his body to survive the Hell I'm about to give him for driving Monsters and Humans even further apart you dolt,"_** She hissed, her eyes glowing dangerously.

"Right, right..." Luka squeaked, scared by her sudden fury.

* * *

 _*With the Four Heavenly Knights; At the Maou's Castle*_

 _..._

Granberia roared as she pushed herself to her absolute limits. The Training Ground's sand floors and old pillars shook in her fury and rage.

"Dear Primal Alice... I've never seen Granberia this angry before." Tamamo thought aloud as she and the other Knights watched her dart about, lunging and stabbing at precise and powerful angles towards an imaginary target.

"Indeed, Granberia's not one to be angry about losing a match. In fact, she would be happy, as it proves that she can still improve... So why is she so furious?" Erubetie questioned, following Granberia's movements. "She's completely overwhelmed by pure anger."

"But why? What could possibly be so horrible as to make her this spiteful?" Tamamo continued, annoyed by how Granberia hasn't even bothered to talk to them yet.

"I don't know. All I heard from her was that someone from San Ilia completely wiped the floor with her with no effort," Erubetie answered with uncertainty. "I'm not sure if Alice has anything to do about this, but it worries me that someone could've easily crippled or killed both her and Granberia at the same time if her reaction indicates anything."

"Hm, hm. If we're so curious, then why don't we just ask Granberry ourselves?" Alma Elma finally spoke, contributing to the conversation.

"With the way she's going?" Tamamo frowned, motioning towards Granberia's blurring figure. "She isn't even consciously using Sylph properly, and she's practically at your speed, if a bit more rigid. Imagine how lethal it could be to just be next to her if she has Salamander active... After all, Fire does grow stronger the angrier the user is in some cases, and I don't want to test if Granberia is one of those special users the way she's going right now."

"Perhaps she's vented off some of her anger by now." Alma Elma playfully answered, "She has been at it for seven hours by now."

"Mm..." Tamamo looked at Granberia. Those eyes... They were the exact same eyes Estark had when she first met him back then; they carried the look of confusion, anger, and sadness... _Poor Esturk..._ she thought, somewhat remembering his uncertainty and fear when he first awoke in a land torn with hatred and war... It proved to be their bane as well, when he began rallying the sole people he recognized, the humans, and led them against everything. _The Era of The Demon King... Perhaps the only time Humans have ever truly experienced prosperity and glory without the Monsters or Angels interfering... No, perhaps the only time Humans were ever truly happy as the Supreme Race._ She mused, somewhat saddened by the pitiful existence humanity now led without the Demon King guiding them.

She was snapped back to reality when Granberia finally stopped moving, and began to walk towards her and the others.

"... I assume you're here for a reason?" She finally said, breaking the silence. She didn't even look tired at all.

"Yes, why are you so pissed? You're almost never like this," Erubetie stated plainly, giving a blank look like she always does.

"... Private reasons," Granberia promptly answered.

"Oh, come on Granberry~... Don't keep such a tantalizing secret from us now!" Alma Elma mock-begged.

"Don't call me that!" She snapped, surprising the others. "I don't want to remember that! I don't want to remember _him_..."

"Remember what though?" Tamamo asked, curious as to why she was also beginning to lash out for being called 'Berry' all of a sudden.

"... Nothing." She huffed, and turned to leave.

"Come on," Tamamo frowned. It wasn't healthy to bottle up emotions like that... She knew it herself, as that was one of the major reasons as to why Black Alice snapped back then. "You can trust us." She reassured Granberia.

Granberia spared one scornful look at them. "I don't want to talk about it." She seethed, turning back again.

"Oh-ho-ho no you don't~!" Alma quickly sped in front of Granberia with a huge smile plastered on her face. "It's not healthy to let keep such secrets from your own friends now~!"

"As if you're one to talk!" Granberia shot back, pushing past her.

Alma Elma frowned... And then tackled Granberia.

"HE-HEY! Get off of me!" Granberia protested, trying to kick her off.

"Nope~!" Alma giggled. "Not 'til you spill the beans on what happened in San Ilia!"

"Grr..." Granberia vainly tried to break free of Alma's grip to no avail.

"Really now Granberia, you should be telling us more about who beat you anyways. What if one of us met this person? How would we know who they are? How would we be prepared to fight them?" Tamamo pointed out to the Dragonkin.

"Ssth... Fine." Granberia rolled her eyes as Alma let her go. She dusted herself off and took a breath. "The Man who beat me was named Vaskul, a travelling Necromancer that also taught Luka swordfighting and other basic skills," She began, immediately grabbing her fellow knights' attention, Luka's teacher was still alive and active? "He was an extremely powerful wizard, being able to dodge my every attack once he got serious and destroyed most of the cathedral we were fighting in."

"Vaskul... I think I remember someone who went by that name..." Tamamo faintly recognized that name as the man who broke into the castle years ago to learn about Esturk and where he was sealed away at. _Is he working for Ilias? Or is he one of Esturk's old followers? And why did he attack Granberia? Why did he train Luka? Just who is this mage?_

"Yes... I remember him as the same exact person who attacked me and my mother and tried to murder me by throwing me down Gold Volcano as a baby... It was a miracle Salamander was there to save me, or I would've died alongside my mother," Granberia admitted, shocking the others.

"That wizard actually did that!?" Tamamo's tails puffed out in hatred and spite. How could someone be so vile and merciless as to throw a defenseless child down a Volcano!?

"Oh dear, that explains a lot," Alma nodded in understanding. She had met some humans who were like the Necromancer to some degree... But they were never this powerful, and they didn't carry as much malice either.

" _Human!_..." Erubetie hissed, bubbling in fury. Granberia was literally one of the few friends she had, and now a _human_ casually puppets he life around and has threatened to kill her not once, but _twice!?_

"That's why I have to train. The only times I ever landed a full hit on him was when he was blinded by the fogs and mists he accidently created, and later on when I managed to catch him off guard with Vaporizing Rebellion Sword." Granberia said, balling her hands up. "If I can't even hurt him when he's putting _some_ effort into fighting, then how could I possibly hope to avenge me and my mother? How can I ever call myself a warrior if I can't even force someone so twisted and disgusting to fight me seriously?" Granberia's hands started to bleed.

"And we understand you Granberia," Tamamo reassured her. "But why aren't you using the Four Spirits?"

"... I found out he can nullify the spirits and magic at will. I'm not sure if his anti-magic goes both ways, but I definitely noted a lack of exhaustion and worry once he reasserted himself," Granberia sighed. "He even healed himself completely after removing the Spirits' Powers."

"Is that so? Perhaps he has a contract with the spirits that go beyond your relationship with them? Or maybe he's somewhere near Heinrich's level of skill?" Tamamo covered her mouth with her fan to cover up the scowl she had. She didn't anticipate the Magician to be this powerful... If she ever had to fight him one-on-one, she'd definitely have to unseal herself to stand a chance.

"No, it can't be. He casted spells that used the Wind offensively, he has no real memory of meeting Salamander and didn't seem to remember me and my mother specifically, and I know for a fact that Explosions and Ice are not elemental spirits that can normally be used as magic to the extent he did... Either he himself is a spirit of sorts, or he has an understanding of magic even you can't hope to rival. Besides, would Salamander really lend her power to the same man who tried to kill her adoptive daughter when she was just a defenseless baby?" Granberia mentally checked off various things that disproved the theory that he was like Heinrich.

"You're right... What is he?" Tamamo's head was working impossibly fast to decipher the man's identity and purposes. "First he seeks out Esturk for some secret, but chose to not kill the witnesses, and now he had the chance to kill one of the Four Heavenly Knights and gain so much glory and fame, but decided to go easy and spare you..." She pursed her lips as she closed her fan.

 _Is he trying to unseal Estark out of loyalty and respect?... Esturk definitely had a code of loyalty and honor that seems to somewhat resemble the wizard's actions._ Tamamo knew that was far-fetched, but she digressed. _He may just want to establish another Age where Humanity is Supreme and the other races kneel down to them for a change..._ It could be the reason, but then why now?

Why do it when there's so little conflict between the Monsters and Angels? If he truly was trying to resurrect and bring back the supremacy of humanity, then wouldn't he want to do it when Monsters and Angels were in open war again and things were too chaotic for anyone to notice his schemes? Wouldn't he first try to provoke an all-out war by killing Alice when she was a child and blame it on the Angels if that was the case?

 _I need to know more about Vaskul before I openly confront him... Perhaps he can still be recruited to our side before Ilias has noticed?... No, she's probably trying to kill or recruit him herself at this second. I need to act fast._ Tamamo mused.

Vaskul could potentially turn the scales, maybe even break the seals that imprisoned her sisters and Creator... Or he could just as easily annihilate and dominate everything and hold the world in an iron grip of **_Despair_** , with all of the power he had if forcing the Spirits to withdraw by a simple spell indicated anything. He could probably even give Ilias herself a hard time if Granberia was right and he did recover completely after she caught him in Vaporizing Rebellion Sword right after nullifying the Elemental Spirits...

 _Tch! Why does a Human have to hold so much knowledge and power in their hands now? If he finds out where Estark's sealed, then there's absolutely nothing keeping him from achieving that... Good thing that only the First Alice and Ilias know where he's at..._

Tamamo then realized that Estark was literally the only thing that Vaskul was after as far as she knew, and Primal Alice was completely sealed off, and Ilias is still running around. Tamamo realized she had nothing to offer to Vaskul other than where Primal Alice's location _might_ be, and that didn't guarantee that the Dark Goddess would tell him... While Ilias would probably be more than happy to if she got his services...

 _Shit._ Tamamo thought simply. She needed to track the wizard down as soon as possible to get a basic idea of what they're dealing with.

"Well, well. Everyone's already here. Good." Alice said as she slithered in.

"Lord Alice!?" The Four Heavenly Knights immediately bowed before her.

"Lord Alipheese. It is good to see that Vaskul did not harm you..." Granberia said respectfully.

"Yes, yes. Vaskul... The Necromancer that wiped the floor with you if I recall correctly. Nice person. He's a massive jackass though," Alice bit her lip. "He's a bit... Scary at times. But he shouldn't be too much trouble... At least when compared to the other situation we're facing right now."

" _Other_ situation...?" The Four Knights sweated bullets. What was worse than a crazy maniac with magic powerful enough to wipe the floor with them?

"Yes, the _other_ situation. We have a certain rebellious monster by the name of 'Lord Baramos' causing quite a bit of wanton destruction and havoc. I learned from a certain source that he's holed up in the old Maou's Castle to plan out his next move. Now this wouldn't be so worrying... If he wasn't planning on staging a coup and overthrowing me to become the new Monster Lord. He's already got the Vampire and Spider Kingdoms backing him up, and I believe from a few observations by Kraken that the Mermaid Kingdom is thinking about his offer," Alice sighed, "I've also been to some of the sites to where he's supposedly been and well..." She bit her lip, "I think that it would for the best if I just said he has more than enough power to back up his claims."

"Then I suppose you came to us to help kill Baramos before he gets out of hand?" Erubetie guessed.

"Exactly. I would do it myself, but I need you four to help ward off the monsters that are probably roaming around his castle," Alice answered.

Granberia silently accepted, though annoyed that she couldn't train for now.

"I suppose... (Especially since everyone's here to hear the order...)" Alma frowned, wanting to instead go pursue something that interested her, like that new manga series she had heard about... _Dragon Ball Z_ if she remembered right.

"We have enough problems as it is," Tamamo pursed her lips. First there's a sociopathic wizard roaming somewhere, and now there's an overly ambitious monster looking to rule. What next, a Demon Lord that fed off of pure **Despair**?

"As you wish, Lord Alice," Erubetie complied, not really having much of anything to do anyways.

"Good, good," Alice sighed in relief. At least her Knights were still loyal. "Let's go," She and the Heavenly Knights teleported to the Archfiend's Domain.

* * *

 _*With Baramos Sigmus and Black Alice; At the Old Maou's Castle*_

 _..._

 **"Wah-Choo!"** Sigmus sneezed, catching Black Alice's attention. **"Eugh... Somebody must be talking about me..."** He grumbled, grabbing a nearby tissue and wiping his beak/nose.

"Ho-Hum. Didn't know you could get sick," Black Alice teased, giggling at his misery.

 **"Shut up. Everyone gets sick at some point, even Zoma did... Except Baramos** **Gonus was there to heal him,"** Sigmus muttered, blowing his beak with the tissue, **"Why else do you hear about people talk about his legendary regeneration and healing capabilities all the time? Why else do they still talk about him when the likes of Mortamor, Mildrath, and Nokturnus are still running around?"**

"Baramos Gonus?" Black Alice tilted her head in confusion. "There's more than one Baramos?"

 **"No, Baramos is merely the name of my kind. Baramos Gonus was the first Archfiend officially trained by Zoma, while I'm just self-proclaimed. My actual name is just Sigmus, not Baramos Sigmus. The only reason why one of us are even referred to as 'Baramos' is because we're quite rare, so people tend to just refer us as such because Baramos sounds like a name... Hell, as far as I know, the only major Baramoses were Bomus and Gonus, and to this world, me,"** He exasperatedly answered, sneezing again. It was getting _really_ annoying to have to tell his subordinates that "Baramos" was not his actual name.

"That's quite interesting..." Black Alice pursed her lips in thought.

 _So there are more of his kind in particular... Which means more freakishly hideous and powerful male monsters are out there in the Multiverse... The only thing wrong is how ugly they all are. If he was more fuckable, then maybe I might've considered taking our relationship a bit further... Bleck!_ Black Alice gagged at the thought of bedding the Baramos. _God that's disgusting! Why did that image go into my head? Why did I have to think about making out with a bipedal hip- BLURRECK!_

Black Alice quickly teleported off to puke somewhere else.

 **"Ha! How does Karma feel you bitch!?"** Sigmus laughed as he faintly heard Black Alice puke somewhere in the castle. **"Also, do clean that up,"** He then asked, not wanting her last breakfast to stink up the place. Things already smelled horrible enough with all of the Trolls and Imps running around. Großmesser's party last night caused so much trouble and made cleaning the castle a lot harder than before...

* * *

 _*With Alice and The Heavenly Knights...*_

 _..._

Alice stared bitterly at the Castle. It looks like all the rumors were true. The Old Maou's Castle was rebuilt, and there was a large magic barrier surrounding it, preventing them from teleporting inside.

"My god, what happened to the swamps?" Erubetie looked in horror at the swamps around them. It was purple and bubbling with acidic poisons. Forget about Slimes dying in that, any normal being would instantly begin to rot and melt away in that disgusting water if the blackened and wilting trees said anything. "This is far worse than what the humans have done..." She hissed. "To think that even fellow monsters are so willing to throw another down just to put on an extra measure of defense."

"Sssth... How did he pull all of this off so soon? It was only a few months ago that we checked back on this area. It should've taken years for anyone to pull this off, especially with the magic barrier." Granberia hissed. She could sense the disarray and chaos in the elements around them. The Earth was rotting, the Water was poisoned, the Wind was silenced, and the Fire was snuffed out. All of the Elements seemed as if it was turned inside-out and boiled alive.

Alma and Tamamo kept their opinions to themselves, but they had similar faces of horror at how fast the Archfiend had consolidated his forces and domain. If this kept up, they'll have a full-blown civil war before the month even ends.

"L- Let's just find a way in the castle." Alice said as she slithered towards the barrier. She tested its properties, and quickly found out that she could just walk through it. It's just that her magic will not be able to go through it. "That crosses out the option to just destroy it from a distance..." She mused as she beckoned for the others to follow along.

Eventually the Five did come to an entrance, but it was guarded by something they could only describe as " _Unbelievably Fucking Ugly_."

It was a Troll, of the Terror Variety to be exact. He had a crudely made fur-toga wrapped on him, and he carelessly carried a large, equally crude, club made of steel. He had greenish-gray skin, and his teeth were large and almost comically blunt, with his tongue hanging out like a dog. He also had a blade that looked somewhat similar to a machete strapped to his side...

"I'm new 'ere. I'z was over 'dere be'fore, see, not 'ere. My brudda was 'ere, and I'z was overa 'dere. 'Is name was Golok. Hur hur hur! Funny dat. It'sa my name too. Uh... Anybays, y'all gunna have to stop 'ere, else I'ma 'fraid y'all gonna have ta die." He slurred, barely noting the disgusted look on the newcomers faces.

"Um..." Tamamo leaned over to Alice, who was equally weirded out. "You think Baramos is like that too?" She inquired.

"I hope to Primal Alice he's not, because then it shows that the Monsters have become so retarded and can't see a dumbass for their life... Ilias would probably be laughing her ass off if she saw that this _thing_ can be considered a monster," Alice stammered, bemused by the strange guard the Archfiend placed here.

Shrugging, the Five tried to move past Golok, but he quickly stepped in front of them.

"Stop left 'ere! I mean, stop right 'ere! I mean, leave! 'Ere! Yeah, leave, 'ere!" Golok mumbled, trying to get the words right.

"Do not obstruct my path, _thing_ , I came to face Baramos," Alice ordered the Terror Troll. Surely even something this... Retarded, would understand that she was the Maou, right?

"Hur hur hur hur hur! Baramos, two-faced! Ha! Dat's a joke if I've eva heard d'one! Doh, that would s'plain why he so tolerant of dat girl's n'sults!" Golok slapped his knee in laughter. "But 'las! Golok, da Gate Keepa, keeps the Gated locked! Blah... I mean, the lock gated! Fffrrr... I mean, the keep locked! I mean... Er... I'ma gonna eat y'all up if you don't leave 'ere! Youz see, I'ma not supposed to let nobody in 'ere, and rules is rules see! And I'z rather break and eat y'all up than them!" He fumbled, trying to put together the right words in his incredibly dumb brain.

"Ugh... Is the Archfiend really trying to keep anyone out with this dumbass?" Alice deadpanned, clearly annoyed by the Troll.

"Come on, with all five of us here, it won't take long to beat him up and get to Baramos anyways," Granberia suggested, impatient from the Troll's incapable mind already.

"BAAAAH!" Golok heard Alice and Granberia's insults and began to stomp the ground, causing miniature earthquakes to rumble around. "You'z don't know howz cold-blooded Iz is! Grr... I mean, how blooded-cold Iz is! FFF!... I mean, how cold the blood in me eye iz!... BLLLAAAHHH! I mean, how cold deh blood on me mace is!... Feh! I think Iz betta eat y'all up now 'fore Iz make meself even more dumba..." He muttered.

"Who wants to go first~?" Alma said playfully, all of them ignoring Golok's tantrum.

"I call first!" Granberia huffed, then walked up to the dumb troll. He looked around, trying to find the challenger. Granberia sighed. "Yo. My eyes are down here." _Never thought I would ever say those words to a guy in my life..._ She thought absently as Golok noticed her.

"Oh, dere you are!" He slammed his club into the ground, but Granberia quickly dodged. "Grrr... Imma get you!" He continued to savagely swing his mace around, trying to catch her.

Meanwhile, the other Knights and Alice were watching this small show of entertainment. "Mm!" Alice gleefully helped herself to some food Tamamo had brought along, just in case it took longer than expected.

Even Erubetie had to admit this display of idiocy was fucking hilarious.

"Hee hee!" Alma giggled as Golok stumbled around, trying to pin down where Granberia was. She soon brought out a small sketchbook and a pencil out of her cloak to draw the scene.

The others looked at her in confusion. She even drew pretty well too. She could make a profit selling art pieces and comics if she wanted to.

"... What?" Alma looked up as she noticed they were staring. "Don't tell me you thought I was only interested in sex?" She said.

"... Um, yes. We thought you were only interested in sex and rape," Alice admitted as she ate some tofu Tamamo had brought.

"But there's like, several dozen sketches and comics all over my room!" Alma protested, "I've published several books and art pieces!"

"We... Were too scared to see what was in your room," Tamamo also admitted, "We did not want to accidently barge in while you were probably satisfying some horrifying fetish or BDSM habit you had."

"What? No! That's all kept in the Castle Prisons! Why would I keep the slaves in my own room? That's just weird! Not to mention they could strangle or otherwise hurt me in my sleep..." Alma Elma frowned. Compared to others, she was pretty sure she wasn't _that_ strange.

"You did eat several people with your tail..." Erubetie mentioned while she watched Golok trip and curse as Granberia wagged her finger at him mockingly.

"That was only a one-time thing for _really_ fucked up humans! Like, you know, Vaskul!... And maybe some of the weirdos who were into that. But I never liked doing vore with my tail! It's uncomfortable as hell... Tails were not meant to be stretched _that_ far." Alma said.

"Oooohhh..." Alice and the others realized. "That explains a lot."

Alma just set on frowning and looking somewhat annoyed by them. "Makes me wonder what the rest of the world thinks of me..." she muttered as she returned to drawing.

It continued like this for a while, until Granberia hit Golok hard enough on the head that he actually fell over and blinked for a moment as if to realize something. He slowly got up, and started to count the five out.

"How da..." Golok scratched his head. "Wait da minute... Why y'all not gangin' up on me?" He took another short headcount, slowly adding up the number of people he saw. "Fourda... Threefa... Fiva... Yeah, dere's five of you! Whyz y'all not attackin me as a group?" He scratched his head as everyone fell down in a comedic fashion.

"He's actually smart enough to realize it's better to attack him as a group..." Tamamo sighed. "Who'd've thought?"

Golok stroked his chin, and then shrugged and continued wailing on Granberia.

"Ho hum, I think Golok has gotten smarter from that blow to his head just now..." Alice noted as she saw Golok feinting and instead smacking Granberia into a wall. "He's actually pretty damn strong as well. He could probably beat her in an arm-wrestle if he tried."

"Yeah, it's too bad he's too dumb to realize what he's doing, if he was smart and could actually strategize, we may have been forced to actually take him on seriously," Tamamo noted dully.

Eventually, Granberia managed to break Golok's mace with a simple swing of her arm.

Golok stared dumbly at his stumped weapon. When he realized what happened, he began wailing.

"NOOO! MY MACEY! WE HADA SO MANY KILLIN'S TOGETHA!" He bawled as he drew his strange Machete.

Slowly, the others began to realize why he was called Golok. [3]

It was because he had a Golok, and he seemed _very_ skilled with it if his posture said anything.

He pointed his Golok at Granberia and the others. "IMA KILL YOU ALL FOR DIS!"

The massive Troll suddenly rushed at Granberia, swinging the Machete wildly and catching her off-guard by slicing cleanly through her plate armor and scales. It was a miracle that he didn't get her by the flesh, or else she'd been cleanly bisected in half.

Infuriated and enraged beyond belief and understanding, he stomped around, throwing around giant boulders more than twice his size around carelessly. Granberia narrowly dodged the crude artillery and tried to actually attack him with her greatsword... Only to find that it bounced off the rolls of fat he had.

"What the..." Granberia then jumped back before Golok could counter and slash at her.

"YOUZ GET BACK 'ERE!" he bellowed, grabbing her tail, spinning her around in a circle, then roughly threw her at the floor and stomped angrily on her.

The others cringed as they heard some cracks and snaps.

"Y'ALL ARE PAYIN' FOR DIS!" He screamed as he charged fearlessly at the others as he swung his Golok in a berserk rage.

Alice and Alma quickly flew out of the way while Erubetie collapsed into a puddle and Tamamo curling herself as a small, fluffy ball of tails.

Golok grabbed the balled up Tamamo and a boulder, then chucked both of them at the airborne Alice and Alma and continued his siege by grabbing what he could find and throwing it. While they were busy dodging his shots, Golok spat in Erubetie's puddle, causing her to suddenly jump up into a humanoid shape from disgust.

Erubetie began puking and looked green from disgust, but was cut off by Golok pounding her into the dirt with his fists and then stomping on her with his feet, which he made sure to dirty and muck up to try and delay her regeneration.

Golok was about to turn to back to the other two, who were busy holding up Tamamo, and take them all down with a well-placed boulder, when he was knocked out by a sneak-attack from Granberia. Surprisingly, her armor had taken the brunt of the damage, but she was mostly okay other than that.

Everyone stood in silence as they reconvened.

"Well... I can see why Baramos put him as the Gatekeeper," Alma commented, trying to leaven the mood as Granberia slowly grabbed the key around Golok's neck, careful as to not wake him up again.

"We definitely should not underestimate anything that is in, or came from, this Castle anymore," Alice said seriously. Everyone agreed.

The five decided to sneak in, rather than risk losing even more strength by tangling with the large, pink, bull-like demon with tiny, cute imp-like creatures hovering around it. They also noticed that the statues had significant magic powers stored within them... Almost as if they were alive.

Eventually the Five came to a beautiful courtyard, with singing birds and wondrous flowers blooming all over.

In the middle was Black Alice, peacefully watering the plants while humming a tune.

Tamamo instantly steeled herself. The others may not know, but she certainly did! _What is SHE doing here?!_ Tamamo thought, wondering how Black Alice could be alive. Was she revived by Baramos? Did Vaskul work his dark magics? Did she even die at all?

"Dun dun dun dun dun da da da da daaa... Hm hm hmm hm mmm Mm, hm, da da da daa~..." She hummed a certain musical piece Baramos had stored in his treasury. [4]

"Oh? Is someone there~?" She turned to the five. Even when she was faced with her successor and Tamamo, she still had a cheerful and happy smile on her face. "I would assume you're here for Barby?" She teased.

"Erm... Yes?" Alice couldn't help but feel a certain connection to the strange girl... Almost as if they were family?

"O-Kay! He's over th-ere~!" She pointed to a small walkway over the small lake in the courtyard that led downwards to a set of stairs.

"Oh, uh... Thank you." Alice and the others quickly got away from the strange girl, as they didn't want to waste even more energy fighting some of Baramos' minions rather than the demon himself.

When they finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, they were immediately assaulted by a large heat-wave, making both Erubetie and Tamamo wince. Erubetie because slimes were naturally weak to heat and fire, and Tamamo because her many tails had quite a bit of fur on them, thus making it easier for her to get overheated.

The Five slowly advanced through the room, seeing a faint figure in the distance sitting on what appeared to be a pyramid of sorts. Even from this distance, they could tell it was very huge and strong.

If they thought Golok had the record for ugliest being in the world, then this new monster took the record, and multiplied it by cancer. It didn't help that he seemed to be rather comfortable in this immense heat and sitting all day long on a dais-throne.

They could only assume this strange, pale demon dressed in black and red to be Baramos, the Archfiend that had recently rebelled against them and sought to usurp the throne.

 **"Gehahahaha! So, you've finally arrived eh Alipheese? I was wondering when the mighty 'Maou' would come to face me in combat,"** The Archfiend laughed. **"But alas! Now is not yet time... You are not strong enough to battle the Great Baramos!"**

"So... I presume you're the Archfiend?" Alice hissed, already annoyed by the arrogant tone the demon carried.

 **"Indeed! I am the Archfiend, Lord Baramos Sigmus, the One to bring destruction to the World of Man and the One to cover this world in pure** ** _Despair_** **!"** He cackled, the heat in the room intensifying, **"For too long man has terrorized and slaughtered monsterkind... I say no more! But quite clearly you want to destroy us all by joining with mankind in 'coexistence!' Disgusting! You are ill fit to be the Lord of Monsters..."**

"Oooouu..." Erubetie was slowly melting into a puddle, and even that was evaporating fast.

Alice sighed, ignoring Sigmus and instead focusing on her dying Knight, "Erubetie, it's quite clear you need to fall back. Go back and recover at the Castle."

"Y- Yes my Queen..." Erubetie teleported out before she died from the sheer amount of heat Baramos was emitting.

Rolling her eyes, Alice looked back at Baramos, "Despite all of your little minions, you still ultimately face me and my Knights (Well, most of them) in combat _alone_. Give up and I might consider just banishing you from the world instead of having you executed."

 **"Pfffhahaha! You? Spare me? Bah! That's why the Kingdoms rebel against you and serve me instead! It is because you are too soft, and do not yet know when to give mercy, and when to smite thine enemies! It is because you do not actively enforce your own laws! It is because you are a fool, and should've never won the crown of Monster Lord in the first place!"** Baramos mocked, **"And above all else, they rebel because you are not strong!"**

"Ttssh... We'll see who's sorry and who's laughing when we're finished." Alice swore.

 **"Sorry? You should already be regretting even coming here to defy your King! But do not worry... 'Tis not a mistake you'll regret for long... For before you even know it, I shall rip out your innards, and devour your guts to ensure that you'll never return!"** Baramos yelled as he threw a magical ball cupped in his right claw towards them. It was a prematurely casted **Explodet** , and the resulting chain of explosions rocked and shook the whole mountain range.

Alice and the others quickly dodged to avoid the attack. Granberia quickly leaped in to strike at Baramos, but he demonstrated great strength as he punched Granberia away, sending her flying through the room.

Alma Elma swooped in, looking to perform a dive-kick, but was caught by the Baramos and thrown across the room as well with Granberia.

Alice's eyes glowed for a split-second, but she found out that Baramos was immune to her spells. So she instead opted to wrap around his head and neck and choke him to death while Tamamo wailed on his legs/stomach area and tripped him around.

It worked for a while, and Baramos found that he could not pry Alice off of him nor pinpoint Tamamo's location without his sight, so he casted **Blazemost** on himself and quickly shook off Alice and Tamamo.

By now, Granberia and Alma Elma have recovered and rejoined the others.

The Four circled around Baramos, trying to catch him off guard.

Instead, Baramos took a deep breath and his body swelled up like a balloon. [5]

"What?" Alice stated flatly as she stared at the strange move. She then took this chance and lunged at Baramos, hoping to burst him like a balloon and finish the fight on the spot.

Baramos responded by breathing out a firestorm at her, the tornado of hellfire instantly charring her skin and scales due to a lack of vital magic protection. Alice's mouth hung open, and she collapsed, unable to fight any longer due to the overpowering blast. To some well-trained eyes it would've appeared that the sheer heat of the inferno might've caused her blood to boil for a split-second... It was a miracle she was even alive.

"Oh dear... That far surpasses Granberry's fire breath." Alma took a defensive stance along with Granberia.

"Yes it does, yes it does..." Granberia said in awe. How did Baramos stay so far out of society and common knowledge until now?! He was literally strong enough to defeat the Maou in one blow!

 **"I did say you were not ready..."** Baramos huffed as he lifted the unconscious Alice by her tail. He reared back his free fist and prepared to impale her when Tamamo managed to headbutt him cleanly in his stomach. **"Ghga!"** He crawed much like a bird as he dropped Alice and stumbled backwards.

"Alma! Take Alice back to the castle... We can't beat him as he is now!" Tamamo ordered Alma as she gently scooped up Alice and dropped her into Alma's hands.

"Alright... Try not to die, okay?" Alma teleported away.

 **"Pathetic! The Maou is so weak she relies on her servants to save her when she can't defeat someone!"** Baramos scoffed as he drew closer to Tamamo and Granberia.

"Granberia, let's retreat for now. We can't beat him as we are now," Tamamo advised the Dragonkin. She would unseal herself to fight the Demon, but she needed to be at her strongest when she went looking for Vaskul in case he was anywhere near as strong as Baramos and was already on Ilias' side.

Granberia looked at the giant Demon King, and sighed. It was another case of Vaskul Syndrome in that she couldn't even hope to seriously harm her enemy unless she got stronger. "Fine, let's go... for now."

The two teleported away, leaving Baramos as the technical winner of the battle.

 **"Feh! Running away with your tails between your legs, you are all truly cowards! But, my point has been made!"** He rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Out from behind the pillars supporting the room came various Monster Queens who were spectating the event in secret. First came Black Alice and the Vampire Queen, then the Spider Princess, and finally the Elder Shirohebi sister, an outcast of Yamatai Village leading a group of radical monsters. **"I believe I have now proven my superiority over you?"**

"You already had my support when we ventured off together. But now you just won my loyalty~!" Black Alice cheerily smiled, as if nothing about the power difference between them was wrong.

"Completely." The Vampire Queen bit her lip, a bit resentful as to how easily Baramos defeated the Maou.

"Yes. Yes you have." The Spider Princess pursed her lips. There was positively no way any of them could even stand a chance against Baramos with that demonstration, and he was nowhere near as stupid as his servants.

"Indeed. You have my support." Shirohebi-sama confirmed.

 **"Good, good... And with you four as witnesses, so many kingdoms will be... 'Inclined' to join me. Soon enough there won't be anyone serving the Maou at all, and then all of Humanity will bow to a new order of Terror! Misery!** ** _Despair!_** **And Death!"** Baramos laughed as his plans began to roll into motion.

* * *

 _*In Heaven*_

 _..._

Vaskul, still suffering from that odd headache he had earlier, wondered what he was actually going to do now. He had _finally_ gained the Secret of Evolution, but for what? Why did he want it in the first place? What was he actually going to do with it?

 _I spent all these eons and eras trying to gain it and finally become as powerful and absolute as Ao and Azathoth themselves, but for what? Why did I even bother getting this?_ Vaskul mused silently as he tried, and failed, to get Ilias off of him. _She's cute when she isn't saying or doing things that generally annoy me,_ he noted, stroking through her hair.

Speaking of Ilias, why did he bother telling her about his past? There was no true reason for him to tell her about who he was, and where he came from. _Perhaps a part of it was to prepare her for Faerun... Yes, that must be it._ He rationalized.

 ** _Or perhaps you wanted her to help you._** Another voice in his head, one resembling that of someone a bit all too familiar, mentioned to him.

 _Heh, as if! What a stupid idea..._ Vaskul scoffed at the possibility his mind just brought up. There wasn't a single point in his long and extensive "life" he ever regretted. Not a single betrayal, murder, or genocide ever fazed him. Not a single point in time when he enslaved, ruined, or did worse to someone made him remorseful. How could it? He was a lich, and one that has lived so long that even he didn't know his true age. Such things were inconsequential to him.

People like Lucifina, Luka, Chrome, and Ilias are irrelevant to him, and only serve as pawns or jesters for him to laugh at. This whole world was a chessboard waiting to be checkmated, Faerun and Alefgard are only fireplaces for him to set alight, and the rest of the Multiverse was a game waiting to be played.

And why he should he care if he failed at something? Why should he care about the people he slaughtered and sold to the Drow and the Illithids? Why should he care if Ilias and Chrome, the people he wasted so much time on so they can help and further his goals, prove to be absolute failures? Why should he care about the potential threat Luka poses as a Hero with his old skills?

 ** _Life is a waste afterall. Everything's going to fade away at some point, even I myself will eventually fade away. Might as well enjoy everything I can while it lasts._** Vaskul almost, _almost,_ decided on that for his answer as to why he desired the Evolution.

 _I wonder what I will do after I become an Overdeity... Perhaps I'll just go to sleep and create a new multiverse from my subconscious, just as Azathoth did. Or maybe I will rest and wait for my cult to begin forming, and then take the Multiverse through conquest..._ Vaskul silently tapped his knee, wondering what he will actually do now. With Ilias giving him the location to Estark, there was nothing preventing him from gaining the Secret of Evolution and becoming a God.

 _This... Is this how it ends? Is this the fate of my long quest? Once my name was known and feared throughout the multiverse for my power and skill! I hold the artifacts of the Gods themselves! Is this how I honor Kyous' death? By taking this Secret and becoming an apathetic God like Ao and Azathoth!? By allowing myself to fade away and let others forget the name of great Vaskul!?_ Vaskul angrily dismissed the former answer to be why he pursued the Secret of Evolution.

 _No! There must be a reason, a purpose! I did not go all this way just to let myself fade away!_ Vaskul ultimately decided. He would, he _will_ , find out the true reason for his existance later. For now, he had to gain the Secret of Evolution.

 ** _Vaskul..._** A voice called out to him in his musings.

 ** _ШЭ KИФШ ЧФЦ ДЯЭ ThЭЯЭ..._** That type of voice... Nimzo? [6]

 _It can't be..._ Vaskul snapped out of his existential crisis and set his attention on the immediate problem. If Nimzo was talking to him, then that other voice must be...

 _Mortamor!? Lord Mildrath!? How are you speaking to me!? You two were sealed long ago by Alipheese and Ilias! There's no way you can do anything anymore!_

 ** _Sealed, perhaps. But being unable to do anything? False._** Mortamor countered, seemingly unfazed by Vaskul's disbelief, **_Also, why does Nimzo get to have "Lord" added to his name but I don't? Am I not equal to him?_**

 ** _It ШДs Д ЪiT of Д ЪiTcH gЭttIИg ЦsЭd to ThiS... SЭДl tHosЭ fФФls PlДcЭd ФИ Цs... БЦt ШЭ PRЭSЭЯVЭD! ДИd I ЭvЭИtЦДllЧ fФuИd Д ШДЧ tФ ЪЯЭДk FЯЭЭ!_** Mildrath pushed past the elderly demon's complaint and explained the situation in his alien-like voice. It was probably a result of the Secret of Evolution...

 ** _Indeed... But alas! We require another being aligned with us to help break this cursed seal! Which is why we set our eyes upon you when you arrived... Do not think for a second that we have forgotten you, old friend._** Mortamor elaborated, his voice being slightly easier to understand than Nimzo's.

 _Hm, very well then. Just as long as you don't interfere with Estark's revival and my ritual, then I will free you._ Vaskul decided, not seeing anything wrong with unleashing the Archfiend and Grandmaster upon this world.

 ** _Excellent! And don't worry about abandoning your little "Angel" over there... We only require your soul and conscious to be here to break the seal upon us._** Mortamor gleefully said as he relayed the location where he and Nimzo were trapped at, and then he cut off the connection.

 _Even better! At least then Ilias will not suspect me for anything._ Vaskul thought as he projected his soul to the location.

 ** _Ah... It would appear that I have the run of the place now. How wonderful it is to have a real body once more..._** A certain ghost cackled as he took over Vaskul's empty body, surprised the Demilich took the bait, and immediately _Teleported_ to somewhere in Sentora just as Ilias was waking up...

 **...**

 **"This... This aura! It can't be!?"** Baramos frantically looked off in a certain direction, fear painted in his eyes.

"What? What is it?" Black Alice asked, curious as to what made Sigmus so worried all of a sudden.

 **"It's... It's him!** ** _Lord Zoma has been revived!_** **"** Sigmus shrieked, falling back.

"Who? Who's Zoma? Who are you-!" Black Alice's questions were interrupted by the sudden jump in Darkness... "What is this... _Who_ is this!"

 **"It's** ** _Zoma!_** **The Master Archfiend! Lord of Darkness!"** Baramos frantically climbed up and out of his chamber, **"And I suspect he's going to charge off to us** ** _very soon! ALL FORCES ON HIGH ALERT! ZOMA HAS RETURNED!"_** He shrieked as he alerted his forces to **_Lord_** **_Zoma's_** arrival.

 _ **...**_

"Alice, you've seemed kinda grumpy as of late," Luka questioned as he and the Maou were travelling along a worn-down pathway.

"Well _duh_ , Luka. I've been under quite of stress lately, and I don't need you and your questions adding to that, so if you would mind shutting up about th...!" Alice's eyes widened and she whipped around to face a certain direction.

"What? What is it?" Luka questioned, unaware of the sudden increase in Darkness.

"... It's- It's nothing. Let's go on," Alice promptly said as she calmed herself and slithered ahead of Luka.

"H-Hey! Alice! Wait up!" Luka ran off to catch up with her, and forgot about her sudden fear.

 ** _..._**

The Four Knights, still recovering from their fight with Baramos, snapped to a certain direction in shock.

"What... _Who_ , is that!" Granberia said, awestruck by the sheer amount of Darkness emanating from that being...

"It makes even Baramos look like an insect in comparison," Alma noted, terrified by this new power.

"Who is this? And why are they coming here? Are they here to fight Baramos and Vaskul?" Erubetie wondered.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for our world," Tamamo said, "I have an aching feeling that we're about to encounter beings far beyond what we thought was even possible... Beings that mock and distort reality, and beings that we can only kill by joining together with Ilias..."

"Join together with Ilias!? Are you insane?!" Granberia hissed, disgusted by the thought.

"No, I'm not. And it disgusts me to join with her just as much as it does you, but let's face it. Is Darkness ever weak to Darkness? No, it's not. It's weak to Light. What is Ilias' element? Light. What is our element? Darkness. What consistent theme have we seen in Vaskul, Baramos, and these new monsters that infest the Old Maou's Castle?" Tamamo paused to let the question sink in, then continued:

"They all primarily rely on and use Darkness. We can't fight them and expect to win using the same weapons and tactics we used on Ilias' forces. We can't expect these abominable beings to feel pleasure the same way we do. We can't expect Baramos to be merciful to even his own servants. We can't expect Vaskul to be the same typical pervert or another religious fanatic that we see in the average man or Ilias Kreuz member. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Vaskul and Baramos just see Ilias as another puppet for them to use and discard at their leisure at his point, it wouldn't be surprising considering how they've gone and done more damage and caused more chaos in a few months than Ilias has in thirty!" Tamamo pointed out, reminding her brethren that Ilias was responsible in some way shape or form for Remina and Ilias Kreuz, while Vaskul and Baramos were responsible for Alice's mental scarring and the random attacks on Humans and Monsters alike respectively.

"These new monsters and humans... They have no moral or ethical limits. They don't care about the damage they'll cause, nor do they care about Primal Alice and the Ancestors being released. They just want to do whatever they want. They're like the worst of our Monsters, but with even worse libertine and barbaric habits," Tamamo finished.

A small pause engulfed the group, and Tamamo sighed, saying: "I'm going out now. With all of these new contenders and Monsters running around, I'm sure I can find at least one that knows Vaskul's magic or how to fight off Baramos. Preferably both, but I'll take either one alone at this point."

 ** _..._**

 _"There. I did it. You're free now,"_ Vaskul informed Mildrath and Mortamor, _"So now I'll be returning back to my body. I'll see you two soon-... Huh?"_ Vaskul tried to return to his body, but didn't for some reason.

 _"... Wait... What the hell?"_

Vaskul distinctly sensed that there was a severe lack of two Demon Lords being unsealed.

 _"Where are they?... And why can't I return to my body?..."_

* * *

 ** _..._**

A Man with an earthly scent and a dirty, yet ornate robe stood above this new and curious world. He didn't know what he was looking down on, but from what he saw, it seemed to be a safe haven for succubi.

Despite the idea of having a bunch of hot women rapists with various traits dominating the world somewhat fascinated him, he was quite disappointed to find out just how boringly weak most of them were. Not like he could expect much out of life anyways, not since he shoved the Secret of Evolution off to a secondary priority.

Then... He felt a trace of something... of power... Perhaps there may be hope for this world yet!

Some worms wriggled and squirmed under his mask, rearranging themselves to match his expression from that of boredom to curiosity. This world was quite rich in raw magic and elements; about the only active powers he felt right now was a Light Primal Elemental, a descendent of a Primal Dark Elemental, one sealed outsider of some sort, and some others...

He concentrated more, intent on finding out what was in that world.

He scoffed as he saw a small kitsune that seemed to have Earthen Elemental powers and four Elements of Wind, Earth, Water, and Fire. Perhaps he oughta pay them a visit... Teach them to give him some powerful things, then give him something so pathetic! Teach them to get his hopes up!

Then, he felt another aura. He would've blinked if he had eyes. He felt _several_ auras... He recognized one to be a Baramos, one that was a descendent of Gonus at that. Most curious... He didn't know the Archfiend had a child... Or perhaps it was created from the Archfiend's remains?

Some beetles squirmed and buzzed, reminding him to check the other source of power before it was too late.

He almost gasped out when he felt the power. He wasn't shocked at the power, no, but instead of who it belonged to. He carefully gauged its power and aura, and doubled-checked to make sure...

Worms rearranged themselves from a look of curiosity to excitement when he confirmed who the power belonged to.

 _"Ah... My old disciple! Who would've thought I would_ ** _ever_** _see you again?"_ the Man chuckled in amusement as he remembered his old days with Orthalamas, _"I wonder why_ ** _you_** _of all people would even be in a place like this in the first place... Oh well! I'll just ask you when we inevitably meet!"_

The Man giggled madly as he recognized some more familiar powers stirring from his presence as well. He recognized them to be the other Archfiend-Santa Claus hybrid and the Grandmaster Namekian.

 _"Ohohoho! This world has some hissssssssstory~!"_ he chortled, amused by the thought of the two somehow being sealed on this world, _"My, my! Perhaps this will be something more than a sex haven! What else will I come across next in this world, something like Nokturnus or Estark?"_

Before the Man could act on the two's existence, he felt a presence come nearby...

 _"Hmm...? Who's there?"_ he questioned, wondering who could be out here in the void.

He soon saw a Slaad, but couldn't tell its traits from its skin. It was a Black Slaad afterall, and you can't see black shapes in the void. The only way he could even see it was from its scarlet eyes and mouth. He briefly questioned to himself why a Slaad was all the way out here...

Though how he even knew it was a Slaad in the first place was a better question.

 _"Hehehe! Oh, I remember now! Is that you Karnax? It's been a while! Though, I would've preferred Chourst instead... He's way more fun to play with!"_ the Man greeted the Black Slaad, knowing that particular Slaad was only one of its type that didn't attack him on sight... He sometimes wondered why, but then he remembered that hunting Slaads with their own Lord of Randomness causes that issue at times.

 **"Now I certainly didn't expect you to be this far out in the void,"** Karnax spoke in a deep and gravelly tone, hissing and dragging certain syllables out.

 _"Indeed! I came this far out because... Well... I felt like coming out here! And look what I have found! A World full of succubi-like monsters!"_ the Man gestured towards the world, showing the Slaad.

 **"Um... yes, yes. That's very fascinating..."** Karnax looked at his comrade quizzically, **"how is that interesting to one like you? You're not one to be interested in sluts and whores... Right?"**

 _"Bah! Who cares about those sex machines? No, what interests me is the fact that..."_ the Man recounted what he sensed earlier, _"Mortamor, Mildrath, my old Disciple Orthalamas, and I think..._ ** _Lord Zoma_** _, are all in that one world!"_

 **"Zoma? Mortamoore? Mildrath? All of them are on this one world?"** Karnax would've raised an eyebrow if he had any.

 _"Yes!"_

 **"Hm, that's very interesting indeed. Who would've thought that the likes of them would be on that kind of world?"**

 _"No one, not even me!"_ the Man and Karnax laughed for a bit, _"But I won't go there to free those three myself. Maybe my Disciple would, but not me. Instead, I'm going down to that world to have some fun!"_

 **"You're going there to get laid?"** Karnax questioned.

 _"What?"_ Some worms shuddered at the thought, _"No! I'm going down to cause havoc and destruction! I'm going down there to have one hell of a time!"_

 **"And to get laid,"** Karnax insisted.

 _"NO!... Well, maybe. But for the most part NO!"_

A small moment of awkward silence passed the Worm and the Slaad.

 **"So... Want to bet to see who gets involved with the gods of this world first?"** Karnax offered, deciding to tag along with the Man.

 _"Yeah! I'll see you there!"_ the Man giggled and snickered madly as he dived towards the world face-first.

Despite having no protection upon landing, The Worm was still giggling, even though his form was scattered among the insects and arachnids that were splotched all over the crash site.

 _"Come here my dears!"_ the Man mentally commanded his body to reform itself underneath the robe and mask, eventually returning it to the state it once was.

He smiled madly as he adjusted his mask and bag, he would have so much _fun_ in this world! He didn't even know why! He just did!

Travelling down a worn-down road that seemed to lead somewhere, the Man was idly wondering what the hell **_Zoma_** was doing in this world. Why would the Ghost of Evil itself be in a world like this? Was **_Zoma_** a closet pervert this whole time? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. But shouldn't **_Zoma_** 's presence have at least attracted the attention of his old disciples? Shouldn't King Hydra, Baramos Gonus and Baramos Bomus have followed him here?

 _"Maybe_ ** _Zoma_** _just ditched them. I know I wouldn't want to walk in on a Baramos getting laid, even if the girl was the prettiest thing in the Multiverse!"_ the Man muttered to himself.

But he digressed. While **_Zoma_** certainly seemed to be in close proximity to Orthalamas, the Man knew for a fact that Orthalamas was scared of him... or maybe he was loyal? Or perhaps they are working together? No, that couldn't be it...

 _"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll find out when I get there!"_ the Man happily shrugged off the Demon King's presence and continued walking down the pathway, a small skip in his steps.

Soon enough, he found someone who looked to be a Vampire.

She had purple skin, with bluish hair and a dark purple dress.

"Ara? A Human, all the way out here? How rare... not that it is bad, for me anyways..." the Vampire smiled, stepping towards the Man.

 _"Ara? A Vampire, already? How rare it is to see one this soon... not that it is bad, for me anyways,"_ the Man mimicked, angering the Vampire.

"You can laugh and mock me when I suck you dry!" the Vampiress said, quickly rushing and latching onto the Man, sinking her fangs into his neck...

Only to feel insects and bugs quickly swarming her fangs, and the awful smell of the Earth filling her nose.

"Kiya! What sort of _thing_ are you! You don't even smell nice!" the Vampire squealed as she retreated, frightened by the feeling. She stared in horror and fascination as the Man's neck seemed to let various worms and maggots pour out.

 _"Aw,"_ the Man sighed, _"My robe got torn up already? Oh well! Not like it matters."_ the Man giggled madly as he idly casted _Rapture of Rupture_ , causing the Vampire to randomly burst and blow up in various parts of her body.

The Vampire shrieked in agony, and tried to flee, but ultimately died from the massive amounts of pain and damage the spell had done.

 _"...Damn it! I didn't hold back enough. Perhaps_ _Rapture of Rupture_ _is a bit too much for the denizens of this world,"_ the Man mused as he walked past the Vampire's corpse, or at least what was left of it, _"Or maybe she was just weak. Who knows? Not me!"_

Soon, the Man came across a small kitsune with nine tails; it was that same kitsune that had gotten his hopes up earlier.

"A Human? All the way out here? How odd," the Kitsune tilted her head in confusion, "But I suppose anything's possible these days."

 _"Hehehe, why hello there! How do you do?"_ the Man greeted, already liking the girl. She may have disappointed him in terms of power, but at least she was nice! She didn't even comment on his scent yet!

"I'm doing quite fine..." the Kitsune frowned at the Man's voice and demeanor. It wasn't often she met a complete stranger who wasn't afraid of her or didn't at least know who she was.

 _"That's wonderful! I'm doing quite nicely myself, who are you by the way?"_ the Man seemed nice enough, but something told her that there was something... _wrong_ , with him.

"My name is Tamamo, of the Four Heavenly Knights. Who are you?" Tamamo questioned, somewhat interested in the Man's apparent ignorance of her position.

 _"Oh, little ol' me? I have many names! From the Mad Scholar of Esturk, to the Wandering Lunatic, to the Pride of the Bleak Academy, to even the King of Worms, I am many people! And many people, I certainly am!"_ the Man giggled insanely, some maggots and flies crawling out of his robes.

"Esturk?" Tamamo's tails flared up, "What do you want with him?"

 _"Ohoho! Wait up now! I am only a scholar, not a servant. I do not actively go after his royal majesty, I merely chronicle and record his adventures and exploits. But one thing I certainly do go after is magic and fun!"_

"Magic? Of what kind?"

 _"The kind all of us use! Is magic not a multiversal thing? Indeed! It is the way we use magic that differs!"_ the Man snickered and twitched at his own attempt at a joke, _"But to answer your_ ** _very_** _vague question, I use the kind of magic that can flay people alive with the Wind itself!"_ he burst out laughing when he saw Tamamo's horrified face, and it's not like he was lying either, the spell _Flaying Wind_ can easily rip off a person's flesh straight down to the bone in seconds.

"That's... A very violent way to use magic," Tamamo commented, still horrified by the answer.

 _"Ah it's nothing! At least when compared to some other ways I know of!"_ the Man laughed it off as if it was some kind of light-hearted joke.

"Yes, yes... You know, you seem to be quite knowledgeable, you seem to be quite skilled with magic, and you know about Esturk, and we've been needing some magicians lately. Would you like to come with me to the Monster Lord's castle?" Tamamo offered, still suspicious of the Man.

 _"And what's in it for me?"_ the Man questioned.

"I may tell you where Estark lies... And something _'else'_ , if that helps," Tamamo said.

 _He may be crazy... But he seems to know the same type of magic Vaskul uses. If I can recruit and learn from him long enough to get a basic idea of the type of magic Vaskul uses, we may stand a chance._ Tamamo reasoned mentally as she waited for the Man's answer. _I just hope he isn't worse than Vaskul..._

 _"You know what? I think I'll go along with you! It seems quite fun!"_ the Man happily answered.

"Great!" Tamamo smiled widely as she turned back and began walking back to the Maou's castle along with the Man, "By the way... You've given me a lot of titles, but you never gave me a name. What is your actual name?"

 _"My name?"_ The Man seemed to smile under his mask, _"Very well then. My name..."_

 ** _"Is Kyous."_**

* * *

Notes:

[1]: I thought I should compile a list of the names of the Monster species that Sigmus summoned so that if any non-DQ fans wanted a picture of them, they can just look at the names in the list here:

Low Tier (These were named in the first paragraph)

Slimes (Some with Slime Knights riding them as mounts)

Imps

Dracky

Orc (Dragon Quest)

Fire Spirit

Bodkin Archer

.

High Tier (Second Paragraph)

Cyclops

Knight Abhorrent/AxeKnight/Armored Knight

Restless Armour/Rogue Knight/Rogue Armor and Healslime/Healer

Archdemon/Bullwong/Winged Demon/Arc Demon

Troll

.

Named Monsters (Actual Characters)

Großmesser (Pink Archdemon)

Belial/Zarlox (Yellow Archdemon)

Golok (Terror Troll)

Atlas/Atlus (Orange Cyclops)

... There were other types of monsters mixed in the bunch, and different varieties and colorations exist for these monsters, but I felt that I got the point across when I showed how many monsters Baramos summoned by sheer accident.

[2]: The Elder Shirohebi is sometimes referred to as Shirohebi-sama.

[3]: Golok, as you Dragon Quest fans may have already figured out, is a reference to the Troll of the same name in Dragon Quest Swords. Unlike the one who served under Xiphos however, this Golok actually has his namesake weapon, which is a machete, albeit much bigger due to Golok's size compared to an average human. I also had Großmesser mixed in, but I decided to leave out his namesake weapon for now. He already has a giant trident, can fly, can cast Zenithian Magic, has Green Imp servants, and can somehow recover HP by drinking beer!... Also, like the Cyrillic letters in Nimzo's speech, it's hard to get the 'ß' in his name onto the document, because like Nimzo, I have to copy and paste it from somewhere else so that the letter actually appears the way it's supposed to... At least now I have all the needed Cyrillic letters and Großmesser's name on this document now...

[4]: The Tune Black Alice is humming is Dragon Quest 1's Theme. I tried to convert it to text, but that obviously failed...

[5]: Baramos' most powerful attack is his fire breath and **Explodet**. In the game, if you didn't have or cast **Insulate/Barrier** or whatever helped decrease breath and magic attack damage, you were in for a fight. It really is that bad, Baramos was the first boss in the game that you had to take seriously because of all the spells and hidden regeneration he had.

[6]: Nimzo/Mildrath speaks that way because that's how he actually spoke in DQV. Not that he makes many appearances or talks that much in the game for it to matter, but still, I figured I might as well stick to how the game portrayed him, speech included. Also, funny thing, the letters that replace certain words whenever Nimzo are actually Cyrillic letters, so if you translate Nimzo's speech to complete Cyrillic or complete English letters you will get a bunch of gibberish and a general mess of what it was intended to be.

* * *

Author's Notes:

First off...

I'M FINALLY BACK FROM WRITER'S BLOCK BABY! WOO! ONE MORE CHAPTER FOR 2017!

... Ok, I'm done. Now onto the summary and commentary.

Well, how's that for a cliffhanger! Haha... You know, I didn't think this story would get this far or bring this much attention... But now it's one of the most successful stories I've written so far!

Anyways, there's not a whole lot to say but Baramos Sigmus has gotten some allies, I made references to DQ Swords, Zoma has barged on in to cause mayhem and chaos, while Vaskul's Former Teacher is here along with a Black Slaad to screw up the plot even further! Who knows where this will go!? (Well, I do, but that's not the point.)

So, don't forget to Review, Favorite, and Follow! It helps to motivate me quite a bit!

And without further ado, I will see you all later!


	6. A Chromatic Solution

_*Vaskul POV; Somewhere in Sentora...*_

 _..._

Vaskul just looked absolutely pissed off as he silently floated around, furious at what he had discovered.

 _"Of course my body's taken over by Zoma. Oh, what else could **possibly** happen right as I am on the precipice of attaining godhood? One of the beings I loathe and detest the most tricking me and taking over my body, that's what! Damn it all..."_

While he silently watched and observed many physical people simply exploring and seeing the world around them, Vaskul silently meditated on his new issues...

Right now, he was dealing with a Baramos and Zoma. Minor nuisances included Luka, Alice, perhaps Ilias and Eden if push came to shove. He may potentially have to deal with others, if things go further downhill, but for the most part those were the major and minor players in this little game...

And he was at rock bottom with literally nothing but his own mind. He was a joke now, and literally had no way to do anything outside of influence or possession.

 _Damn it... Damn it!_ he cursed, knowing just how much he had fallen, _I was once the strongest person here who could easily wipe out this entire world if I wanted to... Now even Luka of all people can claim that he plays a bigger part in world events than I do!_

 _So what the hell can I do to get rid of the others?..._ he silently thought over his predicament.

First he would have to gain a new body. That much was obvious.

 _I could possess someone, suppress their minds and use their bodies to further my goals..._ he could try to possess Chrome, as he knew for a fact she was a good Necromancer that had relatively good connections to negative energy and hasn't learned anything relating to exorcism yet...

Second, he needed to kill off Zoma as quickly as possible.

 _That's a bitch to do. First off, Zoma's damn near invincible with his Cloak of Darkness up, and I have nothing that remotely resembles the Orb of Light. Perhaps I can get Ilias to do it, but I'll need a way to assure her that it is actually me and not Zoma. Perhaps I can manipulate Luka into fighting him... Yes... He should be of angelic heritage... He should be capable of using the Light. I just need to push him in the right direction... Maybe I can get someone else to attack Zoma as well, help soften him up so I can kick him out of my body..._

While the second thing was important, it didn't mean he could plan for the third, which was killing off or otherwise disposing of the other major players in this world.

 _Hm... I could convince other people to fight Zoma, and kill them off once they're sufficiently weakened, or I could curse and seal them away... Baramos Sigmus... Will be difficult to defeat, but as long as I have area and magical advantage, I should be able to kill him off; perhaps I can get Luka, Ilias, Alipheese, and the other fools to band up and at least weaken him so I can save myself the effort of finding a suitable area and creating new magical objects to help ambush and attack Sigmus._

The fourth thing was dealing with the minor players so they couldn't somehow get in the way when he's just about to find Estark.

 _That's easy. I can just kill Luka, Alice, and the others when I'm through with them. Ilias and her Angels... I suppose I'll have to spare them, if only for the Secret of Evolution._

Fifth thing to do was finding Estark and gaining the Secret of Evolution.

 _That's even easier, considering I already have Ilias willing to tell me the location. I just need to have my real body by then, if only for vanity's sake. I could probably make a completely new body to inhabit and claim as my own if I can't somehow reclaim my body from Zoma. I just need to take care not to awaken Estark._

Sixth thing was to inject himself with the Secret of Evolution.

 _Well I already know the Secret of Evolution's process like the back of my... Nonexistent hands, but I digress. I know that's the easiest thing to do out of all of this._

The last thing to do after that was...

 _Huh. What **do** I do after I achieve the Secret of Evolution? I could've sworn I had a plan for that by that point... But what was it again? Sleep? Cause havoc and chaos? I can't remember... _Vaskul thought on it, and ultimately decided not to plan for that. He would be an untouchable and absolute God by that point, so he had no reason to fear if he had no plans for that point.

So right now, what he needed to do was find a new body, and fortunately, he knew exactly who to use for that purpose and where to find them...

 _... Yes... This should help to..._ _alleviate, my current situation. I think I will be going now to fulfill that..._ Vaskul mused. _Zoma might count me as helpless now... But that's just a fool's mistake... For now, the first part in my plan is to do the entire Multiverse a favor and get rid of Zoma,_ Vaskul decided. _Now then, I should get going... I have more than a few ways to get a suitable body back. Even now, the shadows will come to me, and give me all the power I need to possess someone..._ Vaskul's presence vanished, and he was off to where he knew he would find Chrome...

* * *

 _*My POV; Ms. Alice's Castle in Hellgondo*_

 _..._

The delightful little fox I met on the road a few hours back was so nice. She told me that her castle needed magicians, ones that were smart and knew the same kind I did. It was quite flattering! But I could tell that there's another reason...

Her figure, while small, cannot suppress her posture, her eyes, her words; she is far older than she lets on. Ohoho! Nowhere _near_ as old as me, no! But, she is old. And with age, comes wisdom, and with wisdom, comes power.

I just love it though! The fact that she thinks she can trick me. The fact that, along with everyone else, she is blissfully blind to the World around her. The wretched, horrid, _disgusting_ multiverse around her!

Ah, but I ramble when something important is about to begin! I do believe that we are coming up to the castle she mentioned, and so I say to her, "Ms. Tamamo, is that the castle you were referring to? It looks quite nice!"

The little vixen looks up to me, and smiles, saying, "Why, thank you Kyous! We don't receive non-noble or non-prisoner visitors that often, so it's nice when other people say it looks nice. I hope the inside's up to standard!"

Ahahaha~! How you misunderstand. I have no standards to begin with, so of course anything that has a roof is good in my humble and irrelevant opinion! But I digress.

The two of us come close to the gates, and the Guards look at me strangely, tilting their heads.

Before I could explain myself, Ms. Tamamo, nice girl that she is, goes on and said, "He is a visitor here. I brought him here to go so I could have a better understanding of... Human Magic, since it seems quite different from what I am used to."

The guards only nodded once before allowing the gates to be raised, and stand aside, letting me and Ms. Tamamo in.

Upon going in, I instantly smell something that can only be that of a Succubus. How unfortunate, that I must deal with one so soon into my adventure in this odd World, but that doesn't matter. She also smells of lead and paper, so that may be be a redeeming factor. I, personally, wouldn't count on it. Would you, oh dear person reading into this disgusting world's humble story?

"Hello Tammy~!" and with that unbearable stench of Man-Seed, came in a Succubus with long hair, and rather provocative clothing. At least she wore a cloak to help cover herself, which is more than I can say for _many_ of the amazons, succubi, and other perverted freaks I have met. If one shows off all they have, then what's to imagine and desire? A perverted succubus of all lowly scum should know that, and yet many, with the exception of this one, don't. Curious, is it not?

"Hello Alma Elma," the little fox said back to her. How odd. A Kitsune and a Succubus, friends? What an unlikely friendship! But I have seen weirder, and I myself have done odder things, so I am not one to talk.

"Who might this person be~?" she said, looking at me.

Before Ms. Tamamo could say anything, I humbly introduce myself, claiming, "Oh, little ol' me?... Why, I have many names! From the Wandering Lunatic, to the Pride of Bleak Academy, to the Horror of Fang Rock, to even the King of Worms, I am many people all in one and one in all!" I giggle slightly at my somewhat inane introduction, and I can't help but note that several bugs and arachnids may have crawled out the orifices on my mask to get some fresh air.

Quite inconsiderately, the Succubus I know as Ms. Alma flinched, apparently freaked out by my wonderful insects. How offensive! We've only just met.

"... I see... Tamamo, where did you find him?... And what did you do to him?" she asked, blissfully unaware of the events that made me into me.

"I found him wandering the roads nearby. He claims to be a Wandering Magician, and I did nothing to him; I found him like this," Ms. Tamamo said, still put off by my words and the occasional bug that just wanted to get some fresh air. Honestly, is everyone so bigoted and hateful towards insects and other beauties like them around these backwatered parts?

"Okay..." Ms. Alma looked at me, almost as if she was debating whether or not she wanted to see what lies underneath my mask and robes, and if she would even want to have sex with me. Her eyes tell me that she would prefer not to see what lies beneath my robes and mask. A wise choice, if I do say so myself.

"Don't question it. All that matters is that he's a Human Mage that can help us learn more about Vaskul's Magic..." Ms. Tamamo said, attempting to cover her cute scowl from me with but a simple fan.

... Huh. Did she mention Vaskul? How intriguing!

"Oh? Vaskul? You know of him?" I politely say, interrupting the conversation.

"... Yes, I've met him before. He's a dangerous Wizard that possesses and uses magic unlike that I've ever seen before," Ms. Tamamo said, "I have good reason to believe that he wants to revive Estark for some purpose."

Ah... still after good ol' Emperor Estark my old Disciple? Good to see you haven't changed in the slightest since our last encounter oh so long ago...

"Hehehe... He 'just' wants to _revive_ Estark?... Ahahaha... You misunderstand, Ms. Tamamo!" I cannot help but giggle at that. How foolish of her! Does she not know of the true nature behind the Emperor Estark's power?...

"... Then what is it? Why else would he want to resurrect Estark if not to see him rise back to power?" Ms. Tamamo inquired towards me, intrigued as to why I said that. Huh. I do suppose she doesn't know the reason after all! How stupid and ignorant of her!

To enlighten her, I do say, "Dreaded Necromancer Vaskul wishes not for the revival of Emperor Estark. He does not care in the slightest about the real Demon Lord himself. What he does care about is Estark's power... For you see, Estark's incomplete power came from an outside source. He used some unknown Secret to gain the power he did... And he took it with him to the grave. Dread Necromancer Vaskul wants that power for himself, and has the means to complete it, becoming an Absolute God infinitely above that of your adorable Elements Ilias and Alipheese, and I do say he has done many horrifying and disgusting atrocities with no regret nor remorse to secure the secret... If getting the Secret to Emperor Estark's power meant he had to slaughter a billion multiverses over, he would do it. And he would not care about the lives lost at all."

Ms. Tamamo, interestingly enough, paled.

"E-estark's power... It was _incomplete!?"_ she seemed quite worried at that, almost as if she had met the demon himself before... "And Vaskul will do anything to secure it, give it to himself in a _complete form of it_..."

"Yes, you summarized my words quite well, Ms. Tamamo!" I laugh, amused by her reaction.

"... This... isn't good... I need to think on this," was all that she said, before giving me a map of the place with my room marked, and leaving.

"Hm... She seemed quite worried about that, didn't she, Ms. Alma?" I say to the Succubus, who seems equally as worried.

"Y-yes... What you've revealed to us... is quite... bad, to say the least," Ms. Alma stated, "... Oh! Look at the time. I think one of the Grand Noah Tournaments is about to begin. See you later!"

And with that, Ms. Alma flew off, suddenly leaving me alone.

Well, that was quite rude of them. Do they always leave new arrivals here all to themselves?...

Ah well, that's none of my concern.

Besides, it leaves me to do what I wish... Now, where's the library?...

* * *

 _*Luka POV; Grand Noah C_ _olosseum*_

 _..._

It took a while, and it may have sucked quite a bit of money out of his pockets, but Luka managed to buy him and Alice some tickets to the Grand Noah Colosseum.

He took a seat in the stands, and looked at what he assumed were going to be fellow swordsman and martial artist enthusiasts...

Only to be confused by noting that the audience was filled with mostly young girls and women.

 _Huh... That's odd. Maybe most of the Men are actively participating in the games?_ Luka rationalized, sighing as he saw that Alice was already happily eating some food she got from somewhere, _Alice, Alice, Alice... You always think and do things for your stomach rather than logic,_ he idly wondered why Alice was so obsessed with food, when he saw that a rich looking noblewoman was sitting next to them with a frown on her face.

 _She's probably angry at Alice. Or maybe she's angry at something else. Who knows?_ Luka, having inherited some traits from Vaskul's training, simply acted as if he didn't really have a choice but to be stuck with her, and pretended as if he was sorry for her being somewhat of a nuisance, _No wonder why there VIP seats exist, they exist to keep children like Alice away from the people who actually want to see the games!_

Returning from his mental muses, he saw that the games were finally about to begin, with one fighter being a Minotauros with a giant axe, and the other being a Centaur-Girl.

The Fight began, and the two Monster-Girls clashed, seemingly evenly-matched at first, though over time, the Centaur-Girl seemed to have won due to her greater speed, agility, and her ability to keep hitting the Minotauros multiple times and dodge the Minotuaros' heavy strikes.

... Though, he did note that the Minotauros did protect herself from major blows, and was...

"Hm... She's baiting her. No doubt about it. The question is if those light blows will add up..." Luka mused, carefully observing the battle.

"Mm. So you did notice," Alice said, now waiting for another chance to get some more food, "She's protecting herself from any serious blows, and is just waiting for a chance to effectively take down the Centaur."

Seemingly overhearing their conversation, the Noblewoman interrupted, "... Excuse me if it sounds like I am eavesdropping, but what do you mean?"

"It might look as if the Minotauros is being beaten mercilessly, but a trained eye will see that she's still fully capable of fighting. She's just faking it so she can take the Centaur down at close quarters, however, she'll need quite a bit of durability for that tactic to work," Luka answered, still keeping an eye on the fight, "However fast the Centaur is, seeing how strong the Minotauros seems to be, it'll probably take maybe one or two strikes at close quarters."

"Is that so? I can't see this match ending in the Minotauros' favor..." the Noblewoman mused.

They continued watching the match from there, and soon the Centaur got overconfident, getting closer than usual to land a stronger blow, but the Minotauros took this chance, and hit her, almost instantly knocking her down to the ground.

 _... I'd ask if she was okay, but I doubt anyone would try to kill in a_ _C_ _olosseum's games,_ Luka thought, watching as the Audience cheered on the Minotauros.

"My, my, it went exactly as you said it would," the Noblewoman said, "Are you a skilled fighter yourself?"

 _... Well, if you added underhanded-fighting and other things Master Vaskul taught me, then yes, I'd probably be able to beat plenty of people,_ Luka thought, "Uh... I suppose you could say that about me..."

"I see..." the Noblewoman stroked her chin in thought as the next fight began...

 _Huh. A Man versus what I think is a Dullahan. So that's where all the guys are..._ Luka thought, interested to see how a Human would fare against a Monster...

Needless to say, the fight was over very quickly, with the Man crawling to the Dullahan's feet, and at that moment, lights came on, as if a performance was about to begin. It didn't help that the majority of the audience jumped out of their seats.

 _... Dear Ilias, what the hell?... I just wanted to see a good fight... Was that too much to ask for? No wonder why Master Vaskul despises things like this... It's not fun to watch at all,_ Luka shook his head in disappointment.

"... I don't wish to watch this any longer," the Noblewoman said, getting out of her seat, "I'd like to speak with you, if you wouldn't mind."

Luka almost bolted out of his seat after her, not wanting to so much as hear the event that was about to unfold in the arena...

...

Soon enough, Luka, Alice, and the Noblewoman came up to the castle entrance.

"Um... Won't we get arrested if we just walk in?..." Luka said, confused.

Almost as if responding more to Luka rather than the Noblewoman, one of the Guards said, "Welcome back, your Majesty," he nodded in respect to the Noblewoman, and eyed Luka and Alice suspiciously.

 _Well, I guess that explains why she just came up here,_ Luka thought.

"They are my guests, let them pass," the Noblewoman commanded, and the Guard immediately let the case go.

Soon enough while the three were going down the hallway, Luka awkwardly asked, "So... Are you by chance?..."

"I am the Tenth Grand Noah Queen," the Noblewoman said, pushing past that as if it wasn't anything too important.

"I see," Luka didn't question it too much. It would explain why she needed to disguise herself to properly see the tourney.

Soon enough they arrived in the throne room, where they saw the Queen in her true appearance.

She began the conversation, breaking the silence, "As I'm sure you saw, our country's once proud colosseum has turned into something awful. The only real contestants and winners here are the Monsters. Occasionally a Human contestant joins in, but it always ends the same way. Ever since I took the throne fifteen years ago, there hasn't been a single Human who made it to the semi-finals, much less outright win. That is not to say I hate Monsters, but still..."

"... That is kind of disappointing," Luka finished, thinking something along the same lines, _Wow. Not a single Human even made it to the Semifinals in fifteen years?... Now that is kind of odd. With people like Master Vaskul running around, you'd think there would be some respectable and powerful Humans out there fighting and having fun too..._

"These days, Monsters even rape the Men right after winning. You noticed how the spectators of the Colosseum acted, yes? They don't care about the fight itself. Not anymore. They just come here to watch the rape and sex. There are even men that take part in the games just to be raped!" The Grand Noah Queen sighed, "That is what our once honorable and proud Colosseum has become, a cesspool of sex, rape, and humiliation. Nothing more, and nothing less."

 _... I can somehow tell that Master Vaskul would probably either beat the crap out of everyone in that tourney, or he would snap and somehow nuke the place with his spells..._ Luka sweated at the idea of that, "Mhm... That really does sound bad when you put it like that. A place where people should be fighting is now a place where people watch others have sex..."

"Indeed... But, if that's what the population wants, then I'm afraid I cannot change it," the Queen shook her head in disappointment, "I just want to see it once... Once, every four years, the Queen's Cup is held. Just once, I'd like to see a Human get to the Semifinals, maybe even become the Champion... I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Yes. I'm guessing you want me to go and partake in the Queen's Cup and make it to at least the Semifinals?" Luka said, thinking that, as long as he was smart about his fighting, he should be able to win against most normal Monsters.

"Yes, that's right. And, to celebrate the fifteenth year of my coronation, the Green Orb, a heirloom passed down through my family... I wish to give it to a Human Warrior that wins the Tourney. Can you please fulfill that dream?... And if not, could you at least become the first Human to get into the Semifinals?" she asked.

Luka weighed his options. Now, there was a high chance he could win this tournament and get... A Green Orb, whatever use that may have, and then there's just the typical rape as punishment for failing. Nothing too out of the ordinary. At least now he can't be eaten, enslaved, or anything else like that. Plus, it could make for some good practice against good fighters!

"Sure. I'll go ahead and do it!" Luka said, accepting the request.

"Ah, wonderful!" the Queen happily nodded as his answer, "I wish you luck along with the other Human Fighters in the Queen's Cup!"

Luka bowed respectfully, "I will make sure to do my best!" he said, leaving to enlist in the Queen's Cup.

* * *

 _*Karnax POV; Nearby the Noah Region?...*_

 _..._

The Black Slaad chewed on a bloody bone, sitting around and idly wondering just what the hell he let Kyous get him into.

It wasn't that he hated this world, no! He always preferred women's flesh. They tasted sweeter and were less sweaty and chewy than men, and this world was chock-full of them!... It's just that he honestly had no real plan or a list of things to do in this world. He didn't care about Orthalamas, he gave no damns about the Baramos, Zoma could go fuck himself, and Kyous was too busy being a psychotic sack of shit wherever the hell he was at to help give him a list of things to do.

And it wasn't like he himself, a beast of Chaos and Entropy, could just somehow make a steady and reliable list of things to do.

 **"Fuckin' hell... What's a Slaad to do 'round these parts?..."** Karnax muttered, picking apart some of his victims. Some were men, some were women, some were children, some were Monster-Girls, and a rare few were a cross of in between. He didn't care honestly. They all tasted practically the same with their small differences with a few exceptions.

The Nightmarish Toad-Shaped blot of Darkness noted a small piece of paper, some sort of advertisement...

 **"'Queen's Cup being held soon in Grand Noah Colosseum...' Now that sounds a bit fun..."** Karnax muttered, taking a huge whiff of his surrounding areas.

He narrowed his crimson eyes, and gazed off where he smelled out the largest city in the region.

 **"Heheheheh... Ready or not, here I come, _prey_!" **Karax smiled from one side of his face to another as he got down on all four of his long, beastial limbs and bounded towards the City faster than any normal being should be able to run...

* * *

 _*Luka POV; Grand Noah Colosseum*_

 _..._

So far the Tournament had gone fairly well; Luka had beat both Dullahan and Cerberus, some of the strongest fighters here, and by some miracle of Ilias, made it all the way to the finals.

Of course, now everyone was advising him to forfeit before he fought Kyuba, the apparent Champion who's always won whenever she participated.

 _I feel as if fighting her is a bad idea... But fuck it. I can't back out now when I never even met this person before. Who knows? She might not be as bad as they say, and nobody's ever gotten far in life when they ran away from a hard challenge..._ Luka rationalized as he stretched and prepared himself.

Soon enough, Alice slithered in, "Hey, idiot. Interesting news, Kyuba dropped out, so you'll be facing against somebody named Karnax."

"Karnax?..." Luka raised an eyebrow. Kyuba was one thing, but Karnax?...

"Yes, Karnax. They probably aren't as bad as Kyuba, but if they made it all the way here, you'll probably be in for a hard fight," Alice said.

Luka nodded as he prepared for the impending fight, "Alright. Thanks Alice, I appreciate the news."

Alice just slithered off, probably in search of more food to eat.

...

Soon enough a Guard came to notify Luka that his match was starting now, and Luka walked out into the hallway leading to the arena, both excited, and somewhat nervous of whoever Karnax was.

Squinting from the bright sunlight, Luka tried to see who was at the other exit, wondering who else was skilled enough to make it this far...

Only to see nothing but pure darkness.

 _... Where are they?_ Luka idly wondered. He heard murmurs amongst the audience if Karnax would reveal themself this time... _Do they hide themselves from sight?... Or do they attack so fast nobody can see them?_

Sylph rang out in alarm within him, _Luka, quick! Get ready and summon us! Something is horribly wrong here..._ Gnome seemed equally alarmed as well, silently urging him to do the same as well.

Eyes widening, Luka quickly summoned their powers, sword at the ready. He didn't know what Karnax was, but if both of the Spirits were telling him to immediately use their power, then something was definitely wrong here...

Several loud and heavy thumps echoed around the exit Karnax was supposed to be at, yet... they seemed to distort, as if one that came earlier lasted longer than one that came after.

Luka tried to discern what was hiding in the Darkness, hoping to get a basic idea of what he was facing...

He saw... Something odd. He could just barely see the outline of it, and he knew that it wasn't a Man nor a Monster...

The audience leaned in, hoping to finally see Karnax's true form as well...

Soon, Karnax stepped out, showing their true form.

Almost immediately Luka and everyone watching stepped or otherwise leaned back away from them in either fright or disgust.

Karnax was an extremely tall, abominable and chaotic thing that could only be described as a vaguely toad-humanoid-shaped blot of pure darkness. Not a single detail graced nor scarred it, and the only things Luka could see other than its normal limbs was a pair of claws sticking out right where its knuckles should be at, above its normal webbed digits.

After some silence, two small, pinprick blood-red lights shone where its eyes should be, and an equally bloody-red mouth opened, smiling from one side of its face to an another.

... At this point, Luka began to realize just what he was dealing with...

 _Master Vaskul always told me that there were certain things I should never consider fighting... These things were apparently called Beholders, Aboleths, Atropals, Elder Evils, and Slaads... Slaads, something he described as a vaguely Toad-shaped beast of pure entropy and chaos... Is that what I'm facing right now?_

Almost as if losing its patience, Karnax vanished almost instantly, and slammed Luka into the ground.

Luka grunted in pain, and tried to slice at it...

But, something changed, and suddenly, the Slaad was gone, appearing somewhere else...

Karnax's mouth twisted into a cruel grin, and it punched Luka sharply, sending him flying away.

Luka tried to use the powers of the wind to divert it, but it seemed to almost laugh at the feeble attempt, and dug its claws into the ground, pulling a large chunk of Earth up, and throwing it at Luka.

Quickly using Gnome's power, Luka shattered the boulder-like projectile, but now didn't know where the Slaad was in the clouds of dust that covered the arena... He cursed himself for falling right into the beast's trap.

A sharp pain slashed its way through Luka's back, and a near-unstoppable force pushed him away again into the dust, stomping on his injuries.

 _D-damn it! I can't win this fight if this keeps up..._ Luka cursed mentally as he stabbed at the force behind him, trying to fight back.

 _Luka! You have to rely on me to deflect that thing's attacks! Gnomey can't save you from his strength!_ Sylph said into his head, begging him to dismiss Gnome and focus solely on her.

 _R-right... Sorry Gnome, but there's nothing you can do to help me get through or harm him... It's like he's harming me as if I had nothing at all, that I'm taking all of his hits right to the flesh, with no amount of Earth Power or Enrikan Shirts stopping him..._ Luka said, apologizing to Gnome as he dismissed her.

Gnome just nodded sadly as her power stopped straining Luka's power away from focusing on Sylph. She just hoped the Hero Apprentice would survive...

Luka now focused on the defensive, trying to subvert or move the Black Slaad's attacks to miss him to limited success, but the beast's attacks always hit right through Luka's Wind Barrier, slamming right into him and sending him skidding into the ground.

 _I'll die at this rate... I'm going to truly, genuinely die..._ Luka thought in pure terror as he tried to get up, and steady himself.

 _Even Sylph's Wind Wall at full power isn't affecting his accuracy... Gah, damn it! Think! What can I do!? What else about the Wind will help my chances?..._ Luka thought in desperation, seeing Karnax zoom closer and closer to him in small, erratic bursts, at speeds he doubt even Alma would be able to track...

 _... Wait... Speed! That's it! But how do I achieve that?..._ Luka thought, focusing on what he was doing wrong with the Wind...

He felt the Wind trying to... communicate, to him, in some sort of way, and he felt that he was controlling it too much, trying to force it to be something that it shouldn't really be...

 _Maybe... If I-!_ Luka's line of thought was interrupted by Karnax pouncing and pinning him to the ground, wildly throwing his arms and claws at Luka without a single care, sometimes Karnax hit nothing, and sometimes he tore very big chunks of flesh out.

Needless to say, Luka's cries of pain were music to the Slaad's ears, and soon it jumped back, and faded into dust, almost as if... playing, with him...

 _Playful... Sylph is rather carefree and childish... Maybe that extends to the Wind as well? Do I need to just let it... do as it pleases? To guide me rather than the other way around?_ Luka thought as he let his active grip on the Wind fade, and the walls subsided... And, shortly after, he felt the wind... infused, into his body, as if his movements had been enhanced by a Playful Wind...

Karnax snorted, wondering what the hell Luka just did, before jumping back in to slash at the Hero Apprentice, only for Luka to just barely avoid his attack.

"I... I did it? I dodged his attack?" Luka said in a brief disbelief, before avoiding another of Karnax's attacks... And another... And another...

Finally, Luka tried to attack himself, and barely missed the Slaad.

 _Damn it! So close!..._ Luka thought, knowing now he had a very slight chance against Karnax...

Until the beast got angry and stopped playing with him. The Entropic Beast was initially getting more and more furious at missing Luka, before suddenly stopping and deeply growling in an odd way... And then, Karnax roared, dispelling the dust clouds and making Luka stagger slightly from the pain in his eardrums...

And the Black Slaad was but a blur of afterimages as it quickly jumped and drop kicked Luka into the ground, beating down and twisting in a berserk frenzy, yet still sometimes missed or grazed Luka as it went on its rampage.

Luka just tried to keep his cool and slashed away at the Slaad, trying to get a hit in while dodging the Black Slaad's furious attacks, yet, as Karnax began to hoot and gibber, and continued making large impacts on the ground, sand began to puff up into dust clouds again, and began to make it extremely hard to see and discern where the Slaad was...

When the dust clouds fully enveloped the arena again, Luka's strikes didn't seem to ever touch Karnax, and if it seemed like it was going to, the Slaad just... Appeared, somewhere else, as if reality just moved it out of the way of Luka's strikes, as if reality broke for a few fleeting moments that allowed it to move out of the way. Either that, or Luka struck what seemed to be just a simple shadow, and not the real thing. He couldn't tell anymore. Reality seemed to be breaking apart, with some things lasting longer and going slower than they should, and some things happening nearly instantly, when they should've taken hours to occur.

... But soon, a sharp light, almost as if the Darkness and Dust around the Slaad inverted, shone, highlighting Karnax's outline.

 _Gotcha!_ Luka attacked at the outline, and finally made contact with the Slaad, marking his first attack on it.

The Slaad just grunted, slapping Luka back into the ground. It didn't seem pleased by Luka's minor strike, but treated it like a game lost, and was now creeping slowly onto Luka, claws at the ready.

Luka got back up, and stared at it, still refusing to back down.

Snorting, or perhaps snarling, Karnax picked Luka up easily in one of his claws, almost crushing him.

Luka wheezed and gasped for breath, but remained resolute, vainly trying to break out of Karnax's grip.

Seemingly shaking with anger that their prey refused to break for them, Karnax threw Luka, hissing in fury as he quickly came down on Luka again and grabbed his leg, using Luka as a human-flail of sorts as he slammed the hero into the ground, giving a good shake to ensure Luka was still alive, and then continued on bashing Luka against the floor and walls, until finally tossing him aside and roaring.

Luka landed roughly on the ground, and coughed out, feeling that quite a few bones were broken by now... and realized something was missing from his finger...

His Mother's Keepsake Ring! No! It's missing!

While Luka was desperately looking for the Ring, Karnax began to beat its chest and roared, the arena... distorting, glitching, twisting into another landscape...

Luka looked up briefly to see the Black Slaad, grinning evilly as he saw they were in the ruins of a frontier village, the bodies lain and strewn about like lifeless toys, their limbs and organs tossed around like the stuffing of a pillow...

He was too horrified to even make a sound, and looked back at Karnax, to see the Entropic Beast had in its jaws the head of a child... Which it crushed apart into pieces by snapping its moth shut.

Luka looked around in abject terror, all courage leaving him as he saw that he could do nothing to stop this... _thing,_ from doing as it pleased... Until, he recalled something... And realized, that he would never become strong enough to defeat Karnax if he ran away in terror, if he just gave up and let this freak do whatever it wanted...

Fear turned to Anger, and taking a final look around what Karnax had done to the village around him, Anger turned to an emotion he almost never felt...

Hatred. Spite for something as savage and disgusting as the Slaad. Blinding Fury.

And, unknown to both Luka and the Slaad, due to Luka losing his ring, a bright and unbearable light emanating from him, the light shining through even the dust clouds, and directly at the Slaad.

Karnax roared in pain, blinded by the sudden light, and stumbled around, unable to see, and Luka charged, jumping up with Angel Halo in both hands, and resummoning Gnome and Sylph to him at full power, he cleaved down on Karnax's back in an outrage for what the Slaad had done to the village, causing the creature to fall down slightly.

From there, it was almost as if Luka had simply beaten back a usual animalistic predator, for Karnax skulked back away from him, seemingly thinking that Luka wasn't worth the effort to beat, and hissed one last time, **"I will return, prey... No matter where you run, I will track you down. You will not be spared. You will not be saved."**

With that warning uttered, Karnax vanished out of sight...

Luka sighed as he started to regain rationality, and looked around to eventually found his Keepsake Ring and put it back on just as he started to note the bright light was coming from _him._

But when he put the ring on, the light vanished. He didn't know what just happened, but he assumed it to be one of Karnax's mental or reality-warping tricks, of which he noted he was back in the Colosseum instead of the burning village, where...

Nothing had happened?...

... Indeed. It seemed that all the craters and scars left on the arena wasn't reversed, it seemed to be as if they never happened to begin with. All he could see were the Slaad's footprints near the gate, still left in the sand. Even the Audience didn't seem too sure as to what the hell just happened to the arena.

Eventually, when it looked to be that Karnax would not return, the Announcer said, "... Um... Since Karnax appears to have forfeited via... Whatever they did, Luka wins by default!..."

Despite that being his win, nobody cheered or clapped. They just seemed... Confused. Luka couldn't blame them. He himself had no idea what exactly the Slaad did to him...

Was the whole fight an illusion that everyone fell for? Or were they really fighting this whole time, and Karnax just used his powers to seemingly undo everything that happened?...

 _... Master Vaskul was right. Slaads are dangerous creatures... I couldn't even tell what was reality and what wasn't when I was fighting that thing..._ Luka thought sadly, _I need to improve and train fast, otherwise I'll never be able to fight back against that thing..._

At least he had legitimately won against everyone else, and fulfilled the Grand Noah Queen's Wish of a Human Victor to take the Green Orb...

 _At least I won this tournament for the most part, and I learned how to properly use Sylph's power. I can take pride in that,_ Luka thought, before slowly getting up and trudging off to wherever he was supposed to go.

* * *

 _*Vaskul POV; Haunted Manor*_

 _..._

Chrome was simply enjoying life as usual in the Manor, idly wondering when Vaskul would return to teach her more about the specifics of Epic-Level Necromancy and the such as she commanded Frederika to continue monitoring the lesser undead servants that wandered the house.

"... Sheesh, how long does it take to deal with whatever it was you're dealing with? Your trip to San Ilia didn't take that long, and you dealt with Granberia during that time..." Chrome muttered, trying to make sense of the spellbooks Vaskul gave her to study.

She continued reading, unaware that her Master had already returned...

The Room got slightly darker, as a dark mass of shadows congealed behind her...

She remained blissfully unaware of what was forming behind her, still reading her spellbook.

Soon enough, a vague being with a somewhat silvery mask fully formed behind her...

 _"Hello Chrome,"_ Vaskul rasped in a deeper and far more threatening tone than usual, _"I do believe it is rude to talk about people as if they aren't here to listen, when they are in fact right **here..."**_

Chrome almost immediately bolted out of her seat, scared, "Wawawa!? What the hell Vaskul! That wasn't..." she looked at him in both fear and interest. "... What happened to you?" she asked.

 _"Hm? This?..."_ Vaskul laughed, _"This... is merely just a shield for my Spirit... Nothing to worry about."_

"Shield for your Spirit?... That's implying you lost your body..." Chrome muttered, unsure of what was going on.

 _"You could say that..."_ Vaskul chuckled, shuffling closer to her.

"Okay?... So how are you going to solve that problem? I don't think you want to be an incorporeal ghost until I can make a new body for you..."

 _"Ah, you're right. I'm not patient enough for that, especially when my plans are at risk..."_

"So what are you going to do about it?" Chrome tilted her head, confused.

Vaskul began to dissolve into a more gaseous state, _"Simple. Possession. I'm sorry Chrome, but you quite frankly hold no use to me anymore. You're not worth risking a chance for the Secret of Evolution."_

Before Chrome could even respond or react, the shadow-like gases flooded the room, quickly entering her body through her orifices, slowly taking over...

Her pained groans and moans were drowned out in the end, and soon...

She opened her eyes again, showing that instead of their usual purple pupils and white sclera, they were now a striking yellow, with black sclera.

 _"A-A-Ah... B-B-Be... C-C-Ce..."_ Vaskul slowly recited the alphabet and basic numbers, slowly growing used to their new voice.

"Hm... Ah, there we go! Proper high-pitched tone and level of brattiness!" They laughed, now imitating Chrome's voice perfectly.

 _Wh- What happened!? What's going on!?_ Speaking of Chrome, it seemed that she was still aware of what's going on, just unable to do anything with Vaskul possessing her body.

"Ah... Chrome. I wondered whether or not you would live on as a part of my subconscious," Vaskul scoffed, slowly adapting to their new body, "I have to say, while your body is good for magic by this world's standards, it is _absurdly_ tight, especially around a few certain areas..."

 _C-come on! This is just a joke, right? You're trying to lead me into the next lesson with this, right?_ Chrome mentally said, scared of what was going on.

"I'm afraid not. About the best chance you have of survival is keeping up your individuality from me, continue talking to me as if I was a separate person. Of course, it doesn't really matter if this winds up being a long-term possession," Vaskul idly answered, testing their new powers and abilities right now.

 _B-but... I thought... I thought we were friends... Why?..._ Chrome was genuinely scared for her existence now, trying futility to retake her own body.

"Hmph. We were, but I value having a body to immediately combat Zoma rather than waste a few more years and risk a chance at gaining the Secret of Evolution waiting for you to get competent enough at Necromancy and magic in general to make me a suitable body. After all..." Vaskul chuckled softly as they went through Chrome's memories, "Shirome always did chastise you back then for being so incompetent in Necromancy afterall..."

 _Wh-what!? How did you...?_

"Please. Reading you is like reading an open book. Simple and pathetic. But, in, the end, you did surpass her, so at least there's that. Now, shut up already. I'm not exactly happy about taking your body either, and cutting your hair short in an attempt to look like a guy would _not_ make it any better. In fact, it would only make it worse."

Chrome remained silent. It was obvious she felt extremely saddened and betrayed by this...

"On the bright side, if this is only short-term, and I am able to get my own body back by then, you'll have control of your body again."

Chrome seemed a little bit happy and hopeful at the idea.

"For now? Just sit back, and learn from firsthand experience how a true Master Necromancer approaches life..." Vaskul laughed softly as they began to adjust to their new body...

* * *

Author's Notes:

I am back again! Finally got over Writer's Block for another chapter!

Anyways, don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you all think!

And without further ado, I bid you all a good day!


	7. Plans Slowly in Effect

_*Vaskul's POV; Haunted Manor*_

 _..._

Vaskul was preparing to go out and travel to find Luka and spur him into growing stronger to defeat Zoma, when they heard a certain Imp's voice...

 _Why? Why are you doing this? What is so important that you would do this to me?..._ Chrome asked, wondering why Vaskul betrayed her and possessed her body, and made her into this pathetic disembodied conscious.

"Why? Now that is the question of the Age isn't it now?" Vaskul replied sarcastically, finding and gathering any supplies they might need. He already explained it to her shortly after he took control, yet she was asking this again?

He had already given her so much time to improve, evolve, and become like him and his Old Master Kyous and take on the mantle of the new Dread Necromancer after he ascended with the Secret of Evolution. Too much time, in fact. Had it not been for his stupid obsession with leaving behind some sort of legacy in the form of his apprentices Luka Hein and Chrome Artiste as Kyous did with him, he might've already found Estark and gained the Secret of Evolution, thus completely averting this damnable situation with Zoma and the others.

And, in the end, she still proved to be worthless for his personal plans. Yes, she could probably take this perverted world by storm with cunning and intellect alone, but ultimately, he wanted her and Luka to be able to survive out in the crueler parts of the Multiverse like Faerun and Ravenloft. That way, they... his supposed "Legacy," would show that even if he himself was gone if something had happened to him somehow before he could fulfill his plans, his shadow would continue to haunt the Multiverse.

But, it seemed that he would need to force her to grow into the cruel Necromancer he desired to see her become, and Luka, well... He would have to scry and observe him at length. Hopefully Luka would have a Neutral or Positive Morality, to balance Chrome's Evil, but, all that really mattered was that Luka was both intelligent and strong.

And what better way to force someone to go off the deep end like he did than by threatening to erase their literal existence and be replaced, and eventually discarded, by someone they once called "Friend," and "Master?"

"I suppose that'll go answered, won't it now Chrome Artiste? You'll probably vanish and cease to exist soon enough, and you'll ponder on that question, wondering, 'Why?' Well, that's probably something you shouldn't focus on. What you should focus on is perhaps reflecting on your life. Reflect and question every part of your life, both the good and bad. Especially the bad. Recall every failure, insult, and imperfection to you that went unpunished in your life, and wonder, 'What could I have done differently?' Think of that, as you slowly cease to exist. Think of how pathetic you were in the grand scheme of things, of how you left no legacy, as you slowly fade away into oblivion. Think of your sister, Shirome Artiste, and think, 'Did I really ever get to surpass her myself on my own teachings and knowledge? Did I only get to surpass her because of Vaskul?'"

 _Wait... How do you know my sister's true name!?_ Chrome said, surprised that he knew who her sister was. As far as she knew, Vaskul only knew Shirome briefly as "La Croix" from the meeting he attended with the Seekers of Truth.

"Oh please. Use your common sense. I am possessing and controlling _your_ body. I am in control of _your_ brain. Your mind is like a doorway. And thus, your entire, pathetic existence is like an open, worthless book to me," Vaskul sharply remarked, preparing to move on with their goals and explore to find a way to destroy Zoma, "And sadly, I found your life's story to be exactly that: boring, pathetic, weak, and irrelevant. And I've read all of the pathetic chapters through and through. I know absolutely everything about you. I would even say that I know more about you than you yourself do."

He grinned maliciously, "A child living in the Maou's Castle for over a century, cast out for her Sister's idiocy. A child, who unfortunately shared her sister's incompetence and wound up killing said sister when she tried to learn and experiment with things her sister told her not to."

 _Shut up..._ Chrome hissed, giving off the impression that she would've clenched her teeth if she had any.

Vaskul laughed mirthlessly, "A child, who thought of herself as one of the best Necromancers in the world, who, in the end, was utterly outclassed by a wandering old fool who even _taught_ her Necromancy, and still ultimately failed to even pose a minor threat or help to his goals. A child who had trouble fighting another of said Master's Apprentice, who had received far less magical and anti-magic training from him, while he had taught you _so_ , _so_ much. Enough that by now you should've been already been beginning to try and become a Lich or Vampire, and yet, you haven't. Why? Because you're a failure. An absolute waste of time, no, a detriment, that wound up causing me to have to resort to possession because I wasted too much time training you."

 _I said shut up!_ Chrome yelled at him, seething.

Vaskul's eyes would've given off the impression of twinkling if that was a possible thing to do in Chrome's body. He knew Chrome would break if he kept this up, and eventually become just like him and Kyous... All he needed was time. It was only a matter of time before Chrome went from a bumbling, harmless novice at Necromancy, to the Legacy he wanted her to be.

 _Are you done now? Are you done making fun of me and my entire life's work!?_ Chrome hissed.

"No. I'm sure I'll find more to mock you for eventually. But that's irrelevant now. What matters is that I find a way to ascend to become an Overdeity like Ao and Azathoth..." Vaskul said.

 _You... You're psychotic. You're completely insane and demented if you think you can somehow become an absolute God!_ Chrome said, completely dismissing and insulting her Master's Ideals now; already showing that Vaskul's tactics were starting to take hold...

"Thank you," was all that Vaskul said to her. "Now, I believe I need to find and consolidate my power to get rid of Zoma..." he said, moving on out of the Manor to find a way to get rid of Zoma.

 _... a Doorway can be stepped through in both directions,_ Chrome silently hissed in fury as her presence vanished from Vaskul's active conscious...

* * *

 _*Eden POV; Heaven*_

 _..._

Eden thought silently as she paced around, thinking of what to do about Vaskul.

First off, he was a threat to everyone. That much was more obvious than Lady Ilias being a Goddess of Light.

Second, he seemed to have indirectly created Lady Ilias through a confrontation long before she arrived to this world, and seems to be attempting to be in control of their relationship. That alone sends off a red light, and justifies punishment for trying to be dominant over Lady Ilias.

T-... _Third_ , he disappeared overnight, and caused Lady Ilias to be... quite distressed and concerned. Especially with the sheer amount of Darkness he left behind.

 _So, I can conclude that there is something quite clearly wrong with Vaskul. But how do I prove that?_ Eden thought, trying to find out how he might've slipped up in a way that could give her prove that he's not who Lady Ilias thinks he is.

She grit her teeth. She knew something was wrong with that bastard! She just knew it! All she needed was prove that he was who she thought he was. She couldn't just scry him, since he somehow hid his presence, and even if she could, he'd probably notice.

"Tch... How can I prove his guilt?" she mused, thinking of anyone connected to him.

Promestein barely knew him, and was probably just a puppet for him to use to get to Lady Ilias.

Black Alice liked that freak of nature called Baramos more, so she wouldn't know much about Vaskul.

Lady Ilias cares too much about him to notice his flaws.

That Knight-like servant of his was his direct creation though. He could possibly work, provided that Eden could understand his odd way of speaking. Well, less of understand, and more of have the patience to spell out and read his slow writing.

"Helmer... That's who I should talk to. Where is he?..." Eden flew off from her part in Heaven to find the Helmed Horror, hoping that it would prove Vaskul's guilt.

It was a while before she found Helmer, idly sitting around doing not much of anything. She flew down to him, and got his attention, "Greetings Helmer, I need to ask you a few questions..."

It noted her presence, and seemed to be interested as to why she was asking it something, letting her go and ask.

"I want to know if Vaskul has any plans for after he gains the Secret of Evolution," Eden asked.

It seemed to think, and shrug, hand-signing to her, _"D-O-N-T... K-N-O-W. V-A-S-K-U-L... V-E-R-Y... S-E-C-R-E-T-I-V-E. N-E-V-E-R... T-E-L-L-S... A-N-Y-T-H-I-NG."_

Eden seemed annoyed by that, "I see... What can you tell me about him then?"

Helmer thought for a moment, and then signed, _"W-A-S... O-N-C-E... A... P-A-L-A-D-I-N... J-O-U-R-N-E-Y-E-D... W-I-T-H... B-E-H-O-L-D-E-R... I-L-L-I-T-H-I-D... A-N-D... O-T-H-E-R-S... E-V-E-N-T-U-A-L-L-Y... M-E-T... K-Y-O-U-S... B-E-C-A-M-E... D-R-E-A-D... N-E-C-R-O-M-A-N-C-E-R..."_

She paused, almost surprised by what the Knight claimed. Vaskul, a Paladin? "Don't make me laugh Helmer. There's no way in hell Vaskul could've ever been a Paladin, not with how he's acting now in the present. He's a megalomaniacal Lich with a Godhood obsession that believes a Demon like Esturk can make him 'ascend' to gain and fulfill said obsession. He lusts after power like Black Alice and knowledge like Promestein in that matter. A Paladin is literally the polar opposite of Vaskul; there's nothing that I know of that makes him redeemable. Lady Ilias shouldn't be capable of trusting him at all."

Helmer seemed like he would've rolled his eyes, if he had any, _"N-O-T... M-Y... P-R-O-B-L-E-M... W-H-A-T... Y-O-U... B-E-L-I-E-V-E... I-N. I... J-U-S-T... T-O-L-D... Y-O-U... W-H-A-T... I... K-N-E-W. E-V-E-N... I... D-O-N-'-T... U-N-D-E-R-S-T-A-N-D... W-H-A-T... H-E... T-H-I-N-K-S... A-N-Y-M-O-R-E. I... W-I-L-L... N-O-T... A-T-T-E-M-P-T... T-O... S-T-O-P... Y-O-U... F-R-O-M... E-X-P-O-S-I-N-G... V-A-S-K-U-L... O-F... M-Y... O-W-N... W-I-L-L."_

Eden just sighed, somewhat relieved that Helmer didn't care that she was trying to find a way to prove Vaskul's guilt, and at the same time annoyed that he couldn't really tell what his own creator was thinking anymore. Even she, dim as she could be at times, could tell what Lady Ilias was thinking after all the centuries of service she had done for her.

"Thanks, I guess. I swear, I'll find a way to show Lady Ilias what he's really like..." she promised, tightening her grip on her spear.

Helmer just nodded, completely apathetic to what Eden personally had against his creator. As long as Vaskul didn't command him to forcibly interfere or otherwise attack and get in Seraph Eden's way, he'd let her do what she wanted. He hated what his creator had become anyways. In his mind, Vaskul deserved to have every misfortune he's ever had to deal with, both past and present, for what he's done. He didn't like the Demilich at all, but since he was created by him, he had to obey whatever Vaskul told him to do.

And he completely hated himself and Vaskul for that.

"Now then, I suppose I'd better get back to my duties. Farewell for now, Helmer," Eden said curtly, before flying off, presumably still planning on how she'd tackle the issue of Vaskul.

Helmer just shrugged, and brought out his broomstick, still trying to learn how to sweep and clean. There weren't many things he could do in Heaven afterall.

* * *

 _*Baramos & Black Alice; Archfiend's Castle*_

 _..._

Baramos Sigmus was currently tapping his claws nervously as he kept a careful watch on Zoma's signature aura, recalling all his forces back to the castle. The mood of the castle in general was extremely quiet, and, if one was brave enough to say it to the inhabitants' faces, scared.

Black Alice was only confused at this, wondering why exactly her usually brutish and bloodthirsty friend was acting like... this.

Eventually, she broke the silence, asking, "Why are you acting like this Baramos? You never backed down from anything, not even from the Monster Queens and the Monster Lord herself, so why are you calling off everything upon sensing this 'Zoma?' It might not even be him for all we know."

"I _know_ it's him. No one else is like that abomination. Not even Asmodeus, even though he is dead now, was anything remotely like Zoma. I won't risk my life trying to take over the world when anything resembling Zoma is around. I'll take anything: Black Slaads, Beholders Invasions, Asmodeus' revival, Estark's fury, _anything but Zoma._ I will under no circumstances ever try to fight him. There's a reason why I among others are called Archfiends while Zoma has been the only Master Archfiend to exist," Baramos Sigmus was obviously extremely dreading the idea of so much as being in the same world as Zoma.

"Well... Can't Zoma just be killed again? I'm sure we can find a way to defeat him again!" Black Alice thought hopefully.

"Perhaps, if we managed to somehow get his Cloak of Darkness down, we could stand a chance. Doing that would most likely render his control over Darkness and Poison useless, and slow down his speed and regeneration enough for us to actually do something, but we would need a source of Pure Light to do that. We can't use Ilias, since she's mentally no better than Vaskul, her light is tainted and wouldn't work on Zoma properly. The angels are no different, they're also tainted by small bits of Evil and Malice. And we're _far_ from pure, so even if me or you tried learning Light magic, it wouldn't work."

Black Alice still tried to maintain an optimistic outlook, trying to think of something while Sigmus continued tracking Zoma's movements.

Baramos seemed like he would've raised an eyebrow, if he had any, as he noted something off about Zoma's aura.

"What? What is it?" Black Alice promptly asked upon noting this.

"Zoma is not moving towards us... He seems to be instead going away from all forms of life and concentrating Darkness to himself..." Baramos was obviously quite confused by this, "This doesn't make sense. Zoma should've sensed us and immediately headed off in our direction... But he's trying to isolate himself."

"Do you think he's in a weakened state and wants to stay alone to try and get all of this power that made you so scared of him?" Black Alice questioned.

"Possibly. Something is obviously off with how he's moving..." Baramos seemed to gain a bit of hope, now thinking more and more about the possibility.

"Well then there's hope for us yet to win!" Black Alice said.

"Hope..." Sigmus mulled over that concept. It was hard to maintain hope around something as powerful as Zoma, especially when he grew stronger and fed off of despair. Yet, Erdrick had somehow managed to stay brave and hopeful enough to cast Zoma down with the Orb of Light...

Sigmus sighed. What was he doing, bitching out of world domination because some Primal Being made itself known? Estark was here, and he still came to this world! Zoma has been defeated before, he'll be beaten again...

The main problem was figuring out how to pull that off.

 _Now, what could be a good way to kill or seal him?_ Sigmus thought, thinking to himself about this dire situation.

... The Dark Drium could do it. That being could potentially defeat Zoma, or at least weaken him enough for Sigmus and the others to dispose of themselves.

 _Nokturnus..._ Sigmus dreaded the thought of having both the Dark Dream and Zoma here in the same world at once, but he couldn't think of anything. He had no way to get the Light Orb, there wasn't anyone with enough skill in Light to dispel Zoma's Cloak of Darkness that wasn't nullified by their own evil, and he didn't know where Estark was.

But he had no choice.

Nokturnus, a being easily capable of destroying the likes of _Mortamor_ with nearly no effort, was about the only practical method Sigmus could think of that would actually work against Zoma. Nothing else was available that would work.

"Black Alice..." Sigmus said, getting his ally's attention.

"Yes?" she said, wondering what he had to say now.

"I think I have a way to get rid of Zoma. It's a risky one, one that could wind up killing all of us, but it's better than letting Zoma get out free."

"Really? What is it?" she asked, knowing that having one idea is better than none.

"... Summoning Nokturnus. From there, we'll lead him to Zoma, and have the two fight. Hopefully, they both kill each other, or at least Nokturnus wins. That's all I can think of. Nothing else is available that would work," Sigmus knew this was a terrible idea, but at least it had a small chance of working.

"But... Didn't Nokturnus turn the Sabasa Region into a desert the last time he was here?" Black Alice responded, knowing some history behind the Great Monster Wars. If what she knew was true, then that would be a bad idea, even by _her_ standards.

"He did, according to what I know about the Wars and some residual energy I felt in Sabasa when we were visiting the Vampire Queen. It's a terrible idea, I know, but we honestly don't have anything else at this point."

Black Alice hummed, taking a seat and thinking about it.

Eventually, she got up, and said:

"... If what you're saying about Zoma is true, and it seems to be true from your reactions so far, then I suppose we don't really have much of a choice do we now?" she said, losing her cutesy and childish tone.

"We don't, unfortunately," Sigmus responded.

Black Alice sighed, "Then I suppose we'd better start preparing then!"

Neither were excited at the prospect of summoning Nokturnus to this world, but they knew it was the best chance they had...

* * *

 _*Luka & Alice; Somewhere in the Noah Region*_

 _..._

Luka was simply working and training again today with Alice as they set camp, Alice making sure he got the hang of using Sylph's power in a better way.

Rather than his former Wind Wall, he now had the idea to let the Wind boost his speed and reflexes, and now had a better general idea on how to properly use Sylph's power.

"I believe that will enough training for today," Alice decided as she saw that Luka had gotten the hang of his new Wind technique, "for now, let's get some rest after you make some food," and, as per usual, she was hungry.

Luka nodded, cooking up some stew for the night for the both of them. Well, more like for Alice, since he knew she'd wind up eating a majority of it, but he could live with that. Not like he wasn't used to the Lamia's massive appetite...

Though, he always did make sure to cook some extra food, just for himself. He didn't need hunger wearing him down in the middle of a fight.

The two mostly ate in silence, until they heard a noise in the bushes...

"Who's there?" Luka called out to the sound, looking right at where the sound came from.

And, as if to answer his call, a familiar, purple-skinned Imp showed up from the bushes, "Hello, Luka. Nice to see you again... I guess."

"Chrome?" Luka seemed a bit confused, "What are you doing here?"

Chrome sighed, "I came here on Master Vaskul's orders. He wanted me to tell a few things to you while he's gone off to deal with some sort of threat..."

"Threat? What threat is he talking about?" Luka asked, "Is he talking about that Black Slaad I fought earlier in Grand Noah?"

Chrome tensed up at that, "B-black Slaad?... He didn't tell me anything about that level of danger!..." she said, seemingly scared, but then she recomposed herself, "W-well... That's not what he told me he was dealing with, but he did tell me that some sort of 'Master Archfiend' named Zoma had come to this world... He said this thing was capable of something catastrophic, and that he needed to try and delay it himself. He only told me that Pure, Heroic Light can weaken Zoma enough for people to fight practically... and he told me that you apparently had that potential."

"Zoma?..." Luka thought on her words, and then realized something, "Wait? I have the potential to weaken this threat that has even Master Vaskul scared!?"

Chrome shrugged, "Apparently. I personally think we're all screwed, but if he thinks there's hope in you, then by the First I expect you to not fail him and get us all killed."

"Well... That's certainly a lot to just shove onto me at once..." Luka muttered, trying to figure out what exactly Vaskul saw in him that could keep them all from getting killed.

Alice finally interjected, saying, "Am I to assume this Zoma was the one who caused that gigantic jump in Darkness a while back?"

Chrome nodded, "Yeah, assuming if you're referring to the biggest Darkness Aura that made itself known yet. If you are, then you're right; that was Zoma, and he's probably still adjusting to this world. I'm sure we haven't seen the full extent of his power yet."

Alice hummed, thinking on this dreadful piece of information, "Do you know anything else about Zoma or any of the other threats coming around lately? Or is Vaskul really just that secretive?"

"Hm... Well, I do know a few things, and it's that the Black Slaad Luka mentioned earlier... I believe those Slaadi are literally just below the Slaad Lords when it comes being nothing but sheer destruction and insane chaos. They can't be reasoned with, they can't love, they can't sympathize, they can't think... At least, not in the way that sane people like us do, and since they rarely show up without causing most potential writers and observers to go mad, and Vaskul never told me if he himself met a Black Slaad, I know next to nothing about them specifically."

Alice frowned, clearly uneased by this description, "Then, I suppose we'll have to somehow kill this Black Slaad before it does anything bad?"

"I can't even guarantee that much. I can't stress it enough when I say Slaadi are completely unpredictable; one moment they could be ripping and gnawing at the corpses of an entire town, the next they could be sniffing a flower that caught their interest. The only constant we can all agree on is that this Black Slaad _must_ die before it gets too far and adjusts to this world. We already have enough trouble as it is with Ilias lurking over us..." Chrome sighed, and took a seat.

A brief moment of silence passed, before Luka got some of the extra stew, "Here. We might've gotten off the wrong foot at first, but I think we can still get along, right?" he said, offering Chrome some of the stew.

She hesitated, before taking it, "Thank you, it's been a long journey here," she said as she dug into her meal.

"So, what else did you come here for?" Luka questioned.

"Not much else to be honest. I have no idea what Vaskul's talking about when he talks about 'Pure Light' other than that you have this potential..." Chrome soon finished her bowl, and placed it down, "... Oh, and uh... Great food! I really like it. It's a nice change from the usual."

"Thanks! I appreciate it," Luka simply said as he moved the empty bowl to the dirty dishes pile. "So, I suppose there's not much else for you to do right now..."

Chrome nodded, "Yeah... Well, I suppose I'll get going then. I don't want to make you stay up longer than you usually do!" the Necromantic Imp got up, deciding to go ahead and leave since there wasn't anything else to be done.

Luka nodded, "Ah, alright then... See you later!"

"See you _around!"_ Chrome waved, and teleported off to do whatever else it was she needed to do.

Alice quirked an eyebrow as the Imp vanished, "Odd. Did you hear her voice towards the end? She seemed a lot more raspy and aged then than she was before that."

"Huh... You're right, I did notice something seemed off with her voice there... Maybe it was side-effect of casting a spell?" Luka wondered what was with that sudden change in voice, but he decided that it probably just a side effect of magic or something like that. He didn't know too much about the specifics of spells after all, all he learned was how to counter and fight against them.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter right now. Whatever magic Vaskul taught Chrome is most likely far different from what Tamamo taught me about it. I'm sure there's certain side-effects to both versions of it," Alice said, digressing and getting ready to sleep.

"Yeah. Master Vaskul did become a lich because he delved so deeply into magic. Perhaps the same thing is happening to Chrome? I don't know, but it's not really my business. What is my business is finding out what she was talking about in this thing about me being able to use the Light element..." Luka was set on finding out what that meant, and if he could use it to get stronger and be able to realize his dreams of coexistence and defend everyone from beings like Karnax and Zoma...

"Right, out of all the things she said, I think that's one of the most important. As far as I've seen, you don't really carry any serious potential to weaponize the Light Element, and you're not a magician, so what could Vaskul be talking about through Chrome when he sees this potential in you?" Alice mused. She wasn't sure about how to feel about Vaskul, considering the Old Man was easily one of her worst nightmares for a majority of her childhood and gave her that annoying phobia she had to deal with, as well as him apparently orphaning Granberia...

Yet, he had mentored Luka and was for all intents and purposes just some random Magician that practiced a forbidden art in Necromancy. There was literally next to nothing she personally knew about him for now, and it seemed that he wouldn't be spilling any secrets anytime soon.

 _Hopefully, Tamamo will be able to assist me in finally finding out who Vaskul is, and if what he says about the threat of this 'Zoma' holds true..._ Alice thought as she slithered off, "Anyways, that's something we can talk about tomorrow, when we're on the road. I'll be going to sleep now. Try not to get raped in the middle of the night by some random monster."

"Alright then... And you know that Monsters can't sneak up on me in my sleep for anything Alice!" Luka briefly remarked, knowing that he was a light sleeper, "... Good night Alice!"

Alice just nodded to him as she began coiling up and going to sleep.

Luka simply cleaned up the camp and packed up the leftovers and dishes, before going to bed himself.

* * *

The entire world was a frozen hell in Zoma's domain, deep below the Earth...

Words did not need to be exchanged for anyone to know that it was a horrible idea to go into this cursed place.

... An extremely cold draft pushed against the walls, the further down one went in the cave, warning them to go back now. It was freezing, even for them.

Yet, advancing through the cave, nothing of worth or note graced the area except for complete silence as the darkness seemed to congeal around the cracks and crevices, swirling; forming nightmarish things that fluttered and fleeted in and out of mortal visions, whispering, yet not whispering at the same time. Screaming, yet not screaming. Weeping, yet not weeping. Had a victim been a lesser mortal, or lesser immortal for that matter, they would've lost their minds by now from the paradox of these seemingly real yet unreal souls and spirits.

These were delusioned, lost souls to be those who lost to Zoma in complete despair long ago, still suffering to this very day and second despite Zoma only just now being revived from his primordial defeat. And, if nothing was done to kill him...

There'll be no place to hide from the Master Archfiend to stop him from making all of creation like this.

An icy pulse washed over them, disabling any and all magical effects that was slowly building up, bringing with it an intense pressure that could've flattened and drilled any being into the ground until they were but a stain of gore.

... Eventually, the cave systems had gotten so far that one might've mistake this place to be the Lowerdark, one of the deepest places of Faerun's Underdark, where even the mightiest of Beholders and Dark Elves loathed to go to...

Time went on as the caves went deeper and deeper into the depths of the earth, now feeling as if it had gone far past the normal limits of the Lowerdark's ten miles deep and were now nearing the 15 mark...

 ** _Life is a waste... Nothing of worth lasts in its grip. Love, hope, dreams... Don't they all crumble away in the end? But the Void and all of its everlasting and all-encompassing nature is eternal..._**

At last, slumped on a lofty and crystalline throne, there was a demon who seemed to be Vaskul, yet not Vaskul. His body was a more lighter-blue, and he seemed to be much more taller and had gained claws. His eyes weren't illusioned behind anything; they were crystal-clear Diamonds, glowing ominously in their sockets. The Necromancer's old royal robes and ivoric armor were nowhere to be found, being replaced by Zoma's usual red robes and helmet.

Obviously, he was in the middle of modifying his current body into what his original body looked like before his first defeat by Erdrick.

 ** _I wonder how long it'll take for someone to come here and challenge me... It's of no matter. I'll soon be at full-power, and do away with this pathetic world along with all others..._** With that, Zoma's body was absorbed by the darkness once more, fading away from sight...

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, it looks like plenty of things are going on all at once! Who will win? Alipheese's Side with Luka, Tamamo, and the others MGQ Monsters? Sigmus' side with Black Alice, Zarlox, and the traitorous Queens? Ilias' side, with Eden and the Heavenly Host?

Or will there be no true victor, with the "winners" being those loose cannons and psychos in Kyous, Vaskul, Karnax, and Zoma?

Well, that's not going to be revealed for obvious spoiler reasons. What will be revealed is that I'll be revamping the previous chapters to make them better... At least, as good as I can make them. I've already covered Chapters 1, 2, and 3, and I'll probably be working on the others along with the next chapter.

Until then, I bid you all a good day, and don't forget to review!


	8. Memories of a Former Paladin

_*Sometime in the distant past in Faerun...*_

 _..._

An extraordinarily odd team of Adventurers ate in silence around a campfire, three out of four of them casting judgemental glances and looks of contempt at each other.

One of them was a Drow Priestess, who left her clan because of her desire to learn about the world and meet people who could rival her. She got her wish when she joined this oddball group, but she quickly came to regret her decisions a few seconds in when she realized just who she was travelling with.

Another was even odder. This Cthulhian-like magician was a Ultharid, a paragon and noble amongst normal Mind Flayers. The only reason why he was even here with these people he, more-or-less, hated was because he learned the truth about the Elder Brains and how they took everything from a Mind Flayer's Brain upon their death, but that Mind Flayer did not become a part of them; only their ideas and discoveries were assimilated, and their individuality and personality were lost. To avert this undesirable fate, he had resolved to make himself into a Elder Brain so he could maintain his own individuality. In order to fulfill that dream however, he needed meat shields that would protect him from dying a horrible death from the countless beings ready to rip a lone traveller asunder.

However, both paled in comparison to the sheer oddity that was the Beholder floating near them. This one was of the Elder Orb variety, and had lost some of its various eyes over the many years that it lived, including its central antimagic eye. This in turn allowed it to learn Arcane Magic, which prompted its former Beholder "allies" to kick it out for xenophobic reasons understood only by the Beholder race.

Obviously, the others knew that the Elder Orb only wanted to join this weird alliance because it wanted people around to take the hits for it while it went around learning magical secrets, for unlike its younger kin, it learned that people are better used as pawns instead of just killing them on the spot for "being different."

The last of these adventurers was actually what one might expect from a normal group of adventurers; he was a Human Paladin, and was actually quite pleasant to be around. He didn't carry any prejudices or scorn towards his fellow party members, and actively tried to be friends with them, even if he was shot down every single time. His only, and quite frankly simple, ambition was to help people in need and drive off evil wherever it could be found, even though he was surrounded by three people whose race was famed for their evil.

The Paladin was a little dim at times, to say the least, but he had his moments... and he was probably the reason why this group hasn't already strangled, maimed, vaporized, or otherwise murder each other in the most gruesome ways possible yet.

Currently, the group was more interested in eating rather than talking to each other, until finally, the Paladin spoke up:

"So... How are you all right now?" he asked, getting the others to shoot a glare at him.

The Ultharid stopped eating his brain-soup, and said, "Orthalamas, you'd think you'd get the message that none of us are interested in talking or learning about each other, much less _you._ "

"Oh, come on Svessk!" Orthalamas said, somewhat pronouncing the Paragon's name correctly. "Anyone can get along if they just tried!"

The Drow Renegade rolled her eyes, "Orthalamas, none of us care. We just stick to each other because we somehow manage to survive things together when alone, we would've died."

"You too Laele!?" Orthalamas said in shock, getting the group to sigh.

The Elder Orb simply just looked at the group with the eyestalks that it could see with, and every single one of them had a look of absolute contempt on them.

"Dhall, back us up here for once and say that none of us except for the idiot Paladin over there is interested in learning more about each other," Laele said to the Beholder, hoping that he wouldn't just remain silent or reject their plea.

"... I don't care. I have experience in ignoring little insects like him. He's your problem," Dhall responded, not taking a side in this arguement between his party members.

"Ugh... You never help us out unless it benefits you, you greedy sack of shit!" Laele said.

"Of course. Are any of us really together except for gaining something that we want but can't get alone?" Dhall remarked.

"No, I'm here to help those in need!" Orthalamas said, almost immediately disproving Dhall's point.

"... Shut up Orthalamas. You don't count," Dhall thinly hissed at the Paladin, before returning to his meal.

"... Ouch. You could've been nicer about it..." Orthalamas mused, trying to continue a conversation with Laele and Svessk.

"Orthalamas, be honest here, just what is that makes you so insistant on trying to 'befriend' us?" Svessk questioned, honestly wondering what made the Paladin so stubborn.

"Nothing! I just thought that since I'll be with you all for quite some time, I should get to know you all!" Orthalamas simply said, giving an answer fitting of a "Good Guy."

Laele just sighed at that, "You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you Orthalamas?"

"No I'm not! Remember when I killed that Demon with a loophole in his incantations?" Orthalamas quickly shot back.

"Yeah, that was more out of sheer luck rather than intelligence," Laele promptly said.

"Then what about the time I tricked a group of Goblins into burying themselves in that one unstable cave system!?"

"Goblins aren't usually that hard to trick, that proves nothing here."

"... W-well then what about the time I!..." Laele and Orthalamas continued arguing over the Paladin's intellect, as Dhall and Svessk began to secretly laugh at this.

* * *

 _*Present; With Vaskul and Chrome*_

 _..._

Vaskul was simply travelling, thinking about his next scheme to kill Zoma, when a certain Imp manifested in his conscious...

 _Friends._ Was all she simply said, _You had friends._

 _"Well of course I had allies,"_ Vaskul rasped back, the effects of him overusing Necromancy and other Forbidden Magics starting to affect Chrome's voicebox, _"At a certain point in their existence, even if it's just for one time, a sentient, or non-sentient, being will inevitably work together with another being, whether they realize it or not. Why do you ask such an obvious question?"_

 _No you numb-skull! I was talking about as in actual friendship, as in, you liked them! You didn't disregard their lives or think of them as inferior, you genuinely wanted the best for them despite them being so selfish and spiteful towards you. You even tried this with a Beholder, and you taught me that Beholders hated all creatures different from them!_ Chrome berated the Lich, getting more specific this time, _Also... I never thought you were the type of person to be a Paladin. What happened back then to make you into what you are now?..._

 _"Beholder?... Paladin?... Ah, my days as Orthalamas, before I met Kyous... Wait, how do you even know that?"_

 _Oh, you know... I know things. Secret things; things that you never wanted me to learn._ Chrome giggled as Vaskul seemed to get more than slightly annoyed with her for once in a long time.

 _"No, you do_ ** _not_** _know any Dark or Forbidden 'Secrets,' because I don't teach you with limits as to what you should know in mind. I just teach you whatever makes you stronger and smarter, and it's actually starting to pay off in this body as it's adapted to my level of magic to an extent. I know absolutely everything there is to know about you..."_ Vaskul remarked, missing her point entirely.

 _And I know everything you know. Not a single secret or pivotal life point's hidden from me, just as not a single part of my life is hidden from you,_ Chrome smugly countered, _For example... Your idea behind possessing me. You don't_ ** _really_** _intend to kill me off at all. Maybe do the Lich Ritual or something like that for me, but you don't want to send me to the grave permanently. You just wanted to drive me crazy and see if you could mold me into the same type of Necromancer that you and your Master were. Something along the lines of me taking up the mantle of "Dread Necromancer" or something like that to replace you when you're gone from either being dead for good or being a God._

Vaskul stopped right in their tracks. _"... Come again?"_

 _You heard me._ ** _I know everything about you._** _Every magical secret, from making Helmed Horrors, to reanimating the lowly Zombie up to the likes of Nightshades, to the secrets about your life you wanted to forget... such as what you really did upon becoming a Lich..._ It sounded like Chrome would've had a smirk right now, had she been in control.

Vaskul only seemed positively and absolutely livid right now at his apprentice when she mentioned what he did when he first became a Lich.

 _Oh! And you know all those times you teased me or make stupid jokes that pissed me off? I know what pushes your buttons now as well, Vaskul! Who would've thought puns about the dead and Skeletons could annoy you so easily as well?_ Chrome only enjoyed this, knowing that she wouldn't _really_ die off anytime soon. She just had to wait until she could take back her own body...

The Demilich only sighed, and just continued on walking after that exchange. He was somewhat proud yet pissed off his own apprentice managed to figure out how to take advantage of her current situation.

Said Imp still had more to say though, asking, _I wonder though... There was a certain point in your life, before you pursued Estark's power, when you joined up with a gigantic army to invade Hell and the Abyss. Why did you follow all of those Warriors, Mages, Gods, and Kyous into the Nine Hells? It seemed pretty odd to see sides that were usually conflicting fight together against the Devils and Demons._

 _"There was, well... rumors, of an uneasy alliance of sorts between the Abyss and Hell. They both eventually came to an agreement, apparently, to try and take over the Multiverse and then fight it out between each other to determine who would rule. Kyous heard of this, somehow, and was determined to spread the truth around, getting me and billions of others who fought for the Gods to join in on breaking this alliance before it could truly begin. In the carnage, many Demons and Devils were destroyed, among them including Demogorgon, who was unsurprisingly backstabbed by Orcus at the last second, Asmodeus, who was ganged up by both Gods, Invaders, and Archdevils who wanted to become the new God of Sin. While granted, the two would naturally be able to wipe out their challengers, even they had limits as to how much they could fight before somebody got the drop on them. These two major losses among many others led to another fullblown war between the Abyss and Hell, and pretty soon the invaders retreated back to wherever they came from, letting Hell and the Abyss fight it out to this very day... I'm not sure whether or not this alliance Kyous was talking about was true or if it was just an elaborate prank he set up, but I can't say it wasn't a sight for the ages to see Demon Lords, Archdevils, and Gods alike get slain and killed for good in combat,"_ Vaskul mused, reflecting on those dark times. He couldn't quite recall if Kyous had gone insane by that point yet, so if the Worm really was telling the truth about the "alliance" or just tricking everyone into a War was unknown to him.

 _Okay then... So explain why you became like... what you are now, when you had such a good life going for you after this war!_ Chrome questioned.

 _"That war happened after I became a Lich, but before I realized Good and Evil are just illusions and are subjective to the people; I quickly realized after that terrible war that letting myself be limited by morality and other such concepts would only stand in my way. And after those wars, I simply decided to leave for Nadiria and search for Esturk and more about Overdeities. You see, I knew about Ao and Azathoth's existence back then... And after that war, I_ ** _think_** _I wondered... 'Why must this always happen to me? Why can't I just be left alone to learn and study without having to fear the next omnicidal lunatic or conquerer-wannabe?' From that, I believe I realized that becoming an Overdeity would give me peace, it would give me so much power that I could just think away anyone who so much as tried to bother me, much less destroy me. I might not learn or figure out the reason for existence, or any secret of the Multiverse I haven't learned yet from gaining that power, but with so much power, and my immortality, I would have more than enough time to watch the world change around me, to learn and experience new things without fearing my destruction or having to serve a Master,"_ Vaskul faintly smiled, remembering how his long quest for Godhood had started now. Now, it was only a matter of time and patience before he could get the Secret of Evolution from Estark, and become so powerful that he would never have to fear someone attempting to slay him while he was studying and learning... At least, that's what he thought. He wasn't sure what exactly he'd do after he gained the Secret of Evolution, but that was his plan as of thus far.

 _I see... And that's it? That's the "reason" why you've been pursuing this Emperor of Hell the whole time? Just for power to reassure yourself that no one would kill you?_

 _"Yes. Call it petty, call it insane, call it whatever you like. I will not stop until I have that same absolute power Ao and Azathoth have!"_

Chrome just sighed in Vaskul's mind. She would've initially thought it'd be some other reason like taking over the Multiverse or destroying all life, or perhaps he was still like that Paladin Orthalamas deep down and wanted to end all evil and suffering but no! It was something far more mellow and simple than what she thought her Master would've desired. And that's assuming that's actually what he intends to do after gaining the Secret of Evolution; for all she knew about his current plans for it, he'd wind up doing absolutely nothing with it like those two Overdeities he abhorred oh-so-much for their lack of action.

 _"Now... Does that answer the questions you already knew the answer to, my_ ** _'dear'_** _apprentice?"_

 _Yes, that answers my questions about your past anyways for now. The last question I have is what we're going to be doing now and where we're headed._

Vaskul hummed as they travelled down the road, _"Right now I'm heading to the Ruins of Remina. I recall hearing Ilias mention something about destroying it while I was in the middle of research or something else more important, and if that's true, then maybe she or her Angels left behind some Holy Energy for others to take advantage of. If there is, then maybe I can harvest it to make... another Orb of Light, or something like that, to use on Zoma, drastically weakening him long enough for me and other supporters to kill him."_

 _Huh... Well, that'll be interesting to see! Good luck Master Vaskul!_ Chrome cheered him on; it seems she got over her anger towards him taking over her body now that she's managed to learn every single spell and secret he ever knew. Now she could help her sister with her condition, or at least make it into a blessing to be embraced rather than a curse to be cured! Or she could use it to achieve massive leaps into Necromancy and other Dark Arts...

 _Oh, the possibilities are just infinite with this amount of knowledge!_ Chrome privately thought happily as she laid back out of Vaskul's active conscious, _I could even... Even revive Shirome with this magic..._

* * *

 _*Archfiend's Castle; Meeting Room*_

 _..._

The room was silent as Zarlox, Golok, Großmesser, and Atlas sat on one side of the "Council" Table, while the Vampire Queen, Shirohebi-Sama, and Spider Princess sat on the other.

Right now they had learned of Sigmus' scheme to counter the gigantic threat that was Zoma with another gigantic threat in Nokturnus. Well, most of them did. Golok was asleep right now, but nobody cared since he was a complete dumbass most of the time.

... Zarlox did not take this news of trying to summon Nokturnus well, to say the least.

"To hell with the Archfiend and that bitch!" the Yellow Bull-Demon shouted, slamming his trident down, "I'll be damned if I serve them when they're thinking that bringing the Dark Dream to this world is a good idea!"

The Vampire Queen calmly raised her hand, trying to calm Zarlox down, "Now now, don't lose your head over this. Let's think rationally here and assess the situation."

"What is there to assess!?" Zarlox shot back, seething, "We are quite clearly following two batshit insane morons who think that summoning a nihilistic and omnicidal Demon will help the current crisis we have with Zoma!"

"I am of a similar mind with Zarlox right now," Shirohebi-Sama interjected, "We have next to no knowledge about the Dark Dream aside from a few records that date back to when he originally appeared in the Great Monster Wars, and every one I read through claimed that Nokturnus answers to no one. Even Mortamor and Nimzo, who mostly tried to pull off their schemes in the Dream World, did not dare to go anywhere near anything related to Sabasa when Nokturnus wandered the desert. From that, and the myth that whoever summoned him was killed nearly instantly, we can assume that summoning Nokturnus will likely result in our deaths, which is exactly what we _don't_ want to happen and are trying to avert."

Großmesser belched, disgusting a few of his allies, before saying, "Vell... Arh ! Ve cerdainly... *Hic* haffe ein zituazion on our hands right now!... Put, I'm cerdain zat it vill all turn out vell for us in zee end, as long as ve uze our *Belch* Prains."

"Brains are the exact opposite of what you have, you drunkard!" Zarlox sharply remarked, pointing at Großmesser's barrel-sized mug.

"Ah, tis but a pint!" Großmesser laughed as he sent an Imp to get another refill, "I am not drunk at all!"

"That can debated," Shirohebi-Sama simply said, disgusted by the Demon's lack of self-control.

The Spider Princess cleared her throat, getting the council's attention as she said, "Back to the topic at hand... How are we supposed to deal with this obviously stupid plan that the Archfiend has set out for us? We can't just attack or fight him over it; we've seen what he can do against the current Monster Lord and the Heavenly Knights all at once."

"That is an extremely hard question," the Vampire Queen mused, "As far as I can tell, we're all likely to die either fighting this plan, or fulfilling it. It seems as though a civil war might be inevitable if we can't mend things now."

"And there will be a civil war if the lesser Monsters catch onto the implications of this plan! I bet you Baramos doesn't even have a plan as to how to get Nokturnus to fight Zoma, for all we know, the two could just team up if they have the same exact goal, and then there would be absolutely no hope for us at all!" Zarlox said, assuring everyone that he would definitely turn on Sigmus and anyone who supported him if they still had no idea what to do for a _sane_ solution.

"That... is a terrifying possibility, one I'm afraid might actually happen if Zoma turns out to be an omnicidal maniac unlike Sigmus," Shirohebi-Sama said.

... A small silence passed, and Zarlox got out of his seat.

"To hell with this. I'm going to get out of this hellhole world, and return to Nadiria. For all I know, Nimzo or Mortamor could be alive again somehow, and when I'm there when Zoma comes along, they'll be the ones who get made examples out of. It'd make sense for all the weird shit that's been going on lately. Or maybe the Nine Circles of Hell. Maybe the rumors of Asmodeus' death aren't true, and I can hide out and make myself look like cannon fodder over there," Zarlox stated, stretching his wings.

The Vampire Queen got up as well, "Wait. Don't run away yet. If you're going to run like a coward, at least do it after you confirm that the Nokturnus ritual plan is in fact what we're going to do."

"Running away like a coward!? I'm being smart here! You're all being cowards for not standing up and refusing to partake in this stupid idea of Sigmus' like I am! For all I know, maybe summoning Nokturnus will grant you all a painless death, but I'll be damned if I make it easy for him or Zoma to claim my life! We must think of a different tactic, a smarter one to ensure our survival!" Zarlox shouted.

"Cowards?" the Vampire Queen hissed, "Are you even listening to the words coming out of your mouth? We're at least trying to do something about Zoma! If that means we have to sacrifice a few things to save ourselves, or risk our lives, then so be it! It's better than doing nothing and letting ourselves be dominated in fear and despair, or just be another number in Zoma's death count!"

"Vampire Queen, he does have a point when it comes to the fact that as long as we live and inspire or influence others, someone will be there to one day be born and eventually kill Zoma for us," Shirohebi-Sama pointed out, "But summoning a Demon like Nokturnus is hardly going to help the situation. So he does do what we ask and kills Zoma, let's propose that. What then? What do we do to get rid of him then? I assume the ritual Sigmus is using will have to allow Nokturnus to have free reign and will over himself, otherwise it wouldn't work for he wouldn't answer a ritual that binds him."

"Can we all consider the fact that this all might just fail and Nokturnus fails to answer us at all? Why then, should we not try? If he doesn't answer, then oh well. Time to think of another plan. But if he does answer? Then why not try to summon him near Zoma so he's even more likely to fight the Master Archfiend even without us?... And we can handle him. He barely went out of Sabasa when he was summoned there, I'd assume we'd just have to stay out of the region he's summoned in until he decides to leave," the Spider Princess said.

The argument just kept on getting worse from there, until it seemed that Zarlox and Vampire Queen would come to blows when...

 **"Enough!"** Atlas boomed out from his seat. Though he was sitting down, the giant cyclops was still far taller and threatening than everyone else in the room, **"You are all squabbling like little brats. Sit down and talk this out before someone has their grey matter decorate my mace."**

And at that threat that the cyclops might've been able to pull off or not, everyone decided to stop getting at each other's throats and think rationally.

 _The threat of Violence is always the answer along with actual Violence,_ Atlas thought smugly in his head, _If it's not working, then quite clearly I'm not being detailed or violent enough._

... However, the room was taken up by silence for a while, with everyone thinking on what exactly they should do...

Eventually, Großmesser yawned and broke the silence, "Vell, vy don't ve chust ask zee Bozz himzelf? I'm zure he hates ze idea of zummoning Nokturnus as vell. If ve haffe him und zat little girl of his here as vell, ve can zink of zomething good much more fasder."

"Are you joking? With Zarlox and Shirohebi-Sama both talking about how horrible of an idea this is and thinking about betraying him to flee to another world where they can regroup? He'd kill them on the spot!" the Spider Princess said.

Großmesser shrugged, "Zen don't talk apout it ven he or zat little girl's around. It's not zat hard."

"Easier said than done..." Zarlox muttered.

At this point, Golok had finally woken up, and wondered what was going on. He was quickly filled in on the whole idea of summoning Nokturnus to kill Zoma, or as he had simply put it, "Summonin' a weirdo to killz anotha' weirdo."

"Iz don't a get whyz we all be arguing 'bout dis though," Golok wondered aloud, "Can't we just uh... Iz dunno, make somebody else dooz it for us? Make 'em summon dat weirdo instead'a risking our own libes?"

... Another silence took the room at that remark.

"... How did _you,_ of all people, think of that before we did?" the Vampire Queen said in exasperation towards the Gatekeeper.

"I'ma thinkin' dats what ya'll call 'Troll In-gen-nui-i-tay!'" Golok said in pride, trying to pronounce "Ingenuity" to make himself sound smarter.

"Yet you still sound like a complete dumbass," Zarlox remarked.

"Stills don't s'cuse you fose not thinkin' dis brilli-ant idea o' mine!" Golok taunted.

Zarlox just sighed, knowing that none of them would ever live it down knowing that some dumbass like Golok came up the idea of making some other idiot do the ritual for them before they did...

"Wells? Howz 'bout it den? We gonna do it or what?" Golok said, a smug smile on his face.

The "Council" members looked around at each other, and then at Golok. Reluctantly, they sighed and nodded.

"... Yes, this idea is far safer than just doing ourselves," the Vampire Queen admitted, "So we will try this idea."

"I'd prefer to just run, but, I suppose if I'm not immediately threatened by Nokturnus or Zoma when they come around, then I'm fine with this..." Zarlox muttered.

"Yah! I'z dun did it! Iz outsmattered ya'll for once!" Golok laughed as the Council was adjourned. It was probably a matter of time before he return to complete dumbass mode and forgot about this one victory of his, but until then, they'd would just not use the front gate as often when he was on duty.

* * *

 _*Tamamo; Maou's Castle*_

 _..._

The Nine-Tailed Fox silently thought about what had happened so far according to Kyous, and what she should do.

 _According to that odd Mage... We have a potentially omnicidal Master Archfiend by the name of "Zoma" who can easily kill everyone on this world, the Archfiend Baramos is a part of a rare and highly feared species of Demons known for being hard to kill off permenantly, there's a "Black Slaad," whatever that is, roaming around causing havoc, and finally, Vaskul wants to gain a completed form of Esturk's power... How wonderful. At least I know about Vaskul and Baramos already from past experience and encounters... More or less._

She only sighed as she walked down to the library to see Kyous. She didn't exactly hate or dislike him in particular, he hadn't done anything bad... _yet._ It was just that... He struck her as... well.. Insane. He seemed and acted like he was completely crazy. Because of that, she couldn't help but be slightly put off and wary of him. Sure, he acted nice, he didn't really insult or try to hurt anyone's feelings, but he just talked and sounded so... off, that it was hard to feel like he wasn't crazy. He always acted as if they were children compared to him in a way, as if they didn't know or see the amount of things he had.

... And that was without mentioning the disturbing amount of insects and arachnids that crawled in and out of his robes and mask, and the strong earthy scent that he had. It was completely and utterly disgusting, especially when the leftovers of his food and drinks were eaten up by those insects. Even Alma seemed turned off when she noticed the sheer amount of worms and other bugs that wriggled and writhed around him at all times, and she had gotten into some fairly... Odd, things at times. Literally no one in the castle other than Tamamo really wanted to be near the freak, and for good reason. It wasn't worth trying to seduce or even befriend a freak with strong unknown magic and apparently endless swarms of insects and arachnids crawling around him at all times.

Eventually, Tamamo arrived at the library, and sighed, preparing for another session of talking to this bizzare mage.

"Hello? Kyous? Are you around here?" she whispered out.

Soon, the Masked Mage appeared from behind one of the many bookshelves and peered at her, walking until he was out of the library so they could talk at normal volume.

"Yes, Ms. Tamamo?" the Mage politely inquire, though she couldn't help but notice his tone wasn't... Natural. It was uncomfortable listening to him, even if he was being polite.

"I was wondering if I could ask a few questions, if you don't mind," she asked.

"Oh, sure! Go for it! Please ask away. I don't mind at all..." Tamamo noted something was distinctly wriggling underneath Kyous' robes and mask...

"Well, first, I was wondering if you knew the best way to defeat Zoma," she asked, deciding to get the biggest threat out of the way first. As far as she knew, something called a "Master Archfiend" was far greater than someone simply called an "Archfiend."

"Ohohoho, my~! Zoma... Oh, I remember him... What an insufferably powerful entity he was," Kyous jittered slightly, giggling madly as always, "Yes... The Master Archfiend... He will be the biggest challenge you have ever faced in your life. There is no doubt about it. Estark, Vaskul, Baramos Sigmus and Black Alice, Karnax... All of them pale in comparison to Lord Zoma. Only Nokturnus, the Dark Dream, is capable of fighting Zoma at full power... Even Erdrick, the Ancient Hero of Alefgard, needed the Orb of Light to weaken Zoma enough to kill him."

Tamamo had no clue who Erdrick was or what Alefgard was, but she did know who Nokturnus was... She didn't like the idea of thinking that Nokturnus was roughly the equivalent or below Zoma in terms of power at all, but, she didn't really have another reference to go by when talking about otherworldly beings.

"That didn't answer my question. How do we defeat Zoma?"

"Eugh... defeating the Master Archfiend?... I'm not sure actually... I believe a powerful source of _untainted_ Light can weaken him, but I've no clue where to find a _pure_ source for it. If we can remove Zoma's Cloak of Darkness, that should remove his immunity to most attacks and regeneration. I think so anyways... I don't know how much of Zoma's abilities and magic relies on that Cloak, if at all."

Tamamo tapped her fan. This... Wasn't good. The only source of Light she knew was Ilias and the Heavenly Host, and they were anything _but_ untainted and pure. About the best thing for that sort of thing would be their feathers and other such things...

 _... Angel Halo could potentially tear through Zoma's supposed Cloak of Darkness, but that renders the user weak to Zoma's full power and their allies unable to help as much... Plus Luka is using that at the moment for his adventure. What other possible Holy Sources are out there?..._

"Alright, second question," she said, "What else do you know about the Archfiend, Baramos?"

"Hm... I have never faced off against a Baramos, nor do I ever want to... All I can say from what I know is that they regenerate and will come back several times after their first death to get revenge on the ones who killed them. The best idea I have is to just burn, electrocute, slash, and hack at them until they die. Just keep hitting them at a rate where they can't regenerate, and they should eventually die. Eventually. After that, when they come back as an undead form, I'd say just do the same thing again. Kill them off enough times, and they will eventually kick the bucket for good. I think. Maybe. I don't know really."

Tamamo blinked. That was a surprisingly simple answer. Just keep attacking Baramos until he dies like any other person? That's easy!... When said though, in reality... Well, she knew firsthand that he wasn't going to just roll over and die, but! If they could just think of a strategy that could put an end to him, and prevent Black Alice from interfering, they could kill him and stop his goals from causing another war!

And then they had to probably defeat his undead forms if what Kyous said about that was true, but that would come at another time when he wasn't about to take over the entire world and more of him being focused on getting revenge on his killers, which would honestly make him far more easier to manage.

"I see... right, what do you know about the Black Slaad?"

"Ah, Karnax, huh? He'll be hard for you to deal with, Ms. Tamamo! But, all I can say is that you probably won't even need to kill him. Just... scare him off, make him feel like his life is threatened. I know this Slaad personally, and I know for a fact he's a coward. He won't put the effort into fighting prey that's too much trouble than they're worth, even if in reality he could actually kill them fairly easily."

 _Yet another thing that sounds so easy yet is much, much more difficult to apply in reality. How am I supposed to scare something I haven't even met or talked to, much less fought, into leaving this world?_ Tamamo thought, thinking deeply on what Kyous told her.

Kyous paced around while she was thinking, as if bored. Eventually, he decided to ask his own question, "I must say Ms. Tamamo, I find it very odd to see that Remina is the only town here on Hellgondo, and abandoned at that. Do you mind if I head there for a bit and then return? I wish to go and study that area to see if I can see why it's been abandoned and figure out why no other areas in Hellgondo have been made into Towns."

Tamamo snapped out of her musings after that, "Remina?... Sure, just be careful for any Monsters that decided to live in the ruins there."

"Thank you, Ms. Tamamo. I'll be off then! Farewell for now!" Kyous waved her goodbye, and walked away quickly, seemingly excited to see and study the area.

The Kitsune only hummed, still thinking on what exactly was wrong with Kyous. _So much to think about from just three questions... I can only hope I can find an answer for all of them and any other problems that come._

* * *

 _*Master Archfiend Zoma; Unknown Location...*_

 _..._

The Demon King looked on emotionlessly as more and more darkness swirled around him, wreathing him in eldritch and primordial power. And, as time went on, ice crept onto his robes and armor, making them a sickly blue, and the darkness only used it as another vessel along with the Master Archfiend's aura and robes, enhancing and pushing the already Godlike Demon far beyond anyone's wildest dreams and imagination.

It was only a matter of time before the Master Archfiend made his move, and when that finally happened, no one could hope to stop him.

In the meanwhile, he had allowed the world to remain blissfully unaware of its impending demise.

But, he already had a few precise guesses as to what some were doing here right now... They were either:

A. - Despairing in hopelessness and awaiting their dooms.

B. - They were still recovering from whatever else was out there. Impossible, due to the fact that they've had more than enough time to recover and adapt to it, and that the world they were on wasn't exactly filled to the brim with deadly threats.

C. - They were patiently waiting for the right time to strike, watching his every move. Most likely working for either Vaskul or the local Masters/Gods of this world, and they were going to relay any plans or ideas he had to them. He currently assumed this to be the most likely thing, due to the fact that even this world's whorish mockeries of Demons shouldn't just kneel over and not go berserk when a Demon Lord is around, and the fact that he was most likely the biggest threat to face this world yet. Of course, he could be wrong. He could be completely wrong, and it was in fact something else entirely. But right now, he thought that this was the accurate thing to go with.

And, if they were spies and watching him? Then oh well. He couldn't care less. All he wanted was the fear and despair of the masses to feed off from, to cover the world in eternal night and rule everything with an iron fist as he once did. Then, once his rule was restored, he'd most likely take on a new apprentice to replace the failures of King Hydra, Baramos Bomus, and Baramos Gonus, and have them become the "Archfiend" that will make way and expand his Empire to cover all of creation. There will be no Hero like Erdrick to stop him this time; no Orb of Light or Sword of Kings to strike him down from power and cast his soul to drift along the eternities of the void.

Zoma tittered slightly as he considered the possibility that the "spies" his theory proposed were only here to find out about his strategy or plans. He didn't really have a plan at all. He had no need for one. Why come up with a long, elaborate plan when he could just teleport all over the place and kill anyone who opposed him, thus securing his rule? Why do all of that when he could show his power to the crowds and see the hope drain from their eyes, and see their reaction to any Heroes who attempted to strike him down, only to be killed?

Honestly, with joys and beauties like destruction, death, and despair, why would anyone want to pursue something else? Why struggle to survive, knowing they will inevitably die? Why persist and vainly keep something up to last against time, when it has proven again and again that all Empires, Wonders, and Golden Ages fade and crumble away along with the hollow hopes that thrived with them. He knew this, just as he knew everyone who dared to work against him.

Ilias, with her hopes of wiping out the Monsters and keeping Humanity faithful and loyal to her...

Alipheese and Luka, with their blind dreams of uniting Humans and Monsters in coexistence, a dream that will end with Humanity's predictable xenophobia and overzealous judgement...

Kyous and Karnax, with their random and chaotic behavior, they will surely fall into something they cannot stop...

Baramos Sigmus and Black Alice, with their vain attempts to kill him by summoning the Dark Dream, will be inevitably killed by their own ritual or by his own hands...

Vaskul, with his attempt to become an Overdeity, has already been robbed of his body. The little Imp he possesses will never be able to stand up the Master Archfiend...

All of these hopes and dreams... Will be crushed and broken. They will be wiped out, and Despair shall take their place. He knew that he will do that and so much more. Nobody will stop him.

 ** _"Why does this world persist knowing their impending fate? Their deaths are their unavoidable fate, their sorrows as vast as the void, their agony eternal like time, their hatred always used to forge more weapons that lead to more misery! Why persist knowing this? Why bother with enjoying things like love and compassion when things like hatred and selfishness will always outlast them and thrive? Destruction to all is my greatest joy; there is no greater beauty than the dying, and I shall see to it that it dominates over this world and all others under my rule!"_**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, I'm back again with a new chapter, and with it, one step closer to the end. How will this all end? Who knows? (Except for me that is...)

Anyways, I don't really have much else to say other than that. I might start up a new MGQ story, or maybe not. You guys can tell me your thoughts on this story and more in a review or PM!

And, without further ado, I bid you all a good day!


	9. The Lich and The Worm

_**AN: The Story was edited as of 2/13/19, since it was pretty bad in my eyes. Go ahead and reread it, if you want.**_

* * *

 _*Sometime in the Distant Past in Faerun; An Old Crypt...*_

 _..._

Orthalamas coughed and cursed himself as he was pinned underneath an old pillar, surrounded by the remains of countless undead. If only he was more careful! Then he wouldn't be here, stuck and left to rot away and become some brainless zombie... If only he had just got past his own blind idealism sooner and left his old team behind to find a new one, one that wasn't as cynical and malicious as the one he was with, he wouldn't be stuck here...

"D-damn it... I... shouldn't have hoped... they'd help me..." he muttered, the illusion that his former team was somehow caring and and secretly be friends with him wearing off now. "If only... I just stayed by myself, as a lone wolf or something... Then at least, I wouldn't have anyone to blame for my problems except for me... Or, if I just got a normal, if weak team of adventurers... Then they'd at least back me up in this situation."

He slowly felt himself bleeding out... He'd inevitably die, but who knew how long that would take? Minutes? Hours? Days?

"Agh... Why Laele? Svessk? Dhall? Why couldn't you all just have the mercy of killing me instead of ditching me under this pillar? Why didn't any of you bother trying to find me?..." he mused, though he ultimately knew it was because they all despised him. If only he just left them like they wanted, if only he was just a bit smarter and less stupid...

Hours passed, and his movements became more and more sluggish, until he could barely twitch.

"So... this is how it all... ends..." Orthalamas muttered, cursing himself still for his stupidity, just barely noting that someone was looming above him.

It was a rather muscular man, his head balding from the age, though his dark beard was thick and heavy. He was notably soaked in Negative Energy, though he didn't really seem to be affected by it, and his arcanic robes and staff made Orthalamas realize that this man was the Necromancer responsible for all the undead in this tomb.

The Crippled Paladin coughed, weakly raising his head to look at the man. "Who... Are you?..."

The Man tilted his head in curiosity, but shrugged, and gave a small chuckle, "Me? I am nothing but a worm. But, if you really must know my name, then you can refer to me as Kyous, Master Necromancer. Tell me, are you in need of help, paladin? It appears your party has abandoned you here. I will gladly offer assistance, in exchange for your services and help."

"I'll... never... help... a Necromancer... Necromancy is nothing but... Pure Evil..." Orthalamas hissed, a spiteful look searing in his eyes.

"Oho! Why is that? Necromancy isn't all that bad. It is merely just a tool, something to be used just like the rest of Magic. It can both help and harm people, it is up to the caster on how it is used. A rock can kill a person, but it isn't outlawed. Should Necromancy, and to a lesser extent, Magic, be outlawed as well? Besides, just because I said I am a Master Necromancer, doesn't necessarily mean I am just a Necromancer. What do you know? For all you know, I could be lying, maybe there's another magician here? Or perhaps I am a master of _all_ magic arts?" Kyous said, greatly confusing Orthalamas.

"So... You aren't... Evil?..." Orthalamas dumbly asked, bemused by Kyous' words.

"In the long run, one will realize morality is but a tasteless vapor used to justify certain acts and deeds. Evil and Good are so easily switched, changed, and subjective to thought, as are Order and Chaos. But, if you truly must classify me under that outdated and broken system, I suppose I'd be somewhere under neutral." Kyous' patience didn't seem dented or wearing away in the slightest. If anything, it seemed that his interest in Orthalamas was growing by the second, and thus subtly made the pillar pinning Orthalamas down even heavier, subjecting the paladin to more pain until he either gave up and accepted, or died.

Orthalamas tried to protest and continue his argument further despite feeling his ribs and spine crack and snap under the strange and sudden pressure the pillar had on him, but eventually the pain grew too much, and he wheezed out, "Fine... Help me... and I'll help you..."

Kyous smiled, and telekinetically raised the pillar, tossing it aside. "There. Was that so hard to say? Now, come along!... Ah, wait, you can't really do that, now can you? Well, that's a pity. I suppose I'll have to just drag you to wherever I left the makeshift infirmary!"

Orthalamas groaned in both pain and regret of another of his poor decisions as he was dragged along the rocky and rough hallways of Kyous' crypt...

 _ **...**_

"Eat this," Kyous said, giving the bedridden Orthalamas a bowl and a bottle of water...

Orthalamas looked in it, to find it was a simple soup, filled with strange red liquids and several pieces of meat...

"Eh? Wait, this is raw meat! I can't eat this!" Orthalamas shouted, "I'll get even sicker from any parasites and diseases that might be in it!"

"Oh? Why not?" Kyous stroked his beard, confused, "I eat this all the time and you don't see _me_ getting sick. If anything, I'm more healthy and muscular than you are my dear boy!"

"Bu-But..." Orthalamas went silent.

"Is that silence implying this one is correct?" Kyous asked, smiling smugly.

"... But you used some sort of magic, didn't you?" Orthalamas countered, now positive that Kyous must've done such a thing to constantly eat this raw flesh... "Yeah, you must've used some sort of magic to make it pure and tasty!"

"Ohohoho... Not even close, good chap," Kyous snickered, leaving the soup on a stand made of bones, "Well, I leave you to recover your broken body. 'Til then, good sport!"

"Wa-Wait, hold on a moment... Agh, damn it all..." Orthalamas cursed himself, wishing he could do more... But, at least he had a choice here. He could at least maintain his willpower and not poison himself eating that trap the Necromancer set out for him...

Days passed, and all Orthalamas truly had was occasional refills of his water and even more mind-boggling conversations with the Necromancer. What even was Kyous at this point... The Paladin held a strong belief that Kyous had a few screws loose in his head, if not a gaping hole where sanity should be.

But, inevitably, hunger began to set in, and with magic and the loss of most of his supplies from when the party left him, Orthalamas felt a strong agony rumbling in his stomach.

 _Agh... It hurts... It hurts so much... But... It's raw flesh... I can't trust a Necromancer not to poison a Paladin like me..._

How long he suffered in that unnecessary pain, he didn't know.

All he knew was that, in the end, he finally took the bowl, and began feasting.

His tongue hated and completely wanted to reject the flesh, but his stomach certainly didn't care. Even though he wanted to vomit, it still finally eased that pain he had long suffered through...

Kyous soon walked in, noting the empty bowl. "I knew you would falter eventually. Was that so hard?"

"Ye... yes..."

Kyous paused, before shrugging, "Ah well. That's a pity. Well, up you go!"

Against his protests, Orthalamas was jerked up out of his makeshift cot, and stumbled around the cold floors of the crypt, shivering and shaking.

"My, my. You look like you've just got off of leg day!" Kyous randomly commented, chuckling as he dragged Orthalamas along, "Come now, my guest! I think it's high time you got to see a tour of my wonderful crypt!"

Orthalamas groaned, feeling too weak to really keep going on...

Kyous showed off all sorts of strange machinations and traps in his crypt. Some were just generic spikes and swinging axe-blades, some were crystalline soul gems enslaved to power intense and epic-level trap spells. Some were expertly woven illusions that made lava look and feel like quicksand or slime instead of actual lava.

Others were just cruel. Such as split-second portals into the Negative-Energy Plane or the Abyss, or a room with several literal Spheres of Annihilation floating around.

Not to mention Kyous' spawn and creations were just as horrifying. Nightshades, Elder Vampires, lesser liches, Angels of Decay, Blood Aminotes, Death Knights, Direguards, and the list just went on and on.

Orthalamas silently swore to eradicate all of these beings in the future when he recovered.

Eventually, Orthalamas was led to a rather small and quaint room. The room was gray much like the rest of the crypt, with a rugged bed and a crackling fireplace.

"This is your room," Kyous said, "Try to keep that in mind. Feel free to explore the crypt as you see fit. Have fun!"

And, with that, Kyous left, leaving a very confused Orthalamas alone.

 _Wh... What? Why? Why leave me here? Sounds like a horrible idea..._ Orthalamas thought, sitting down on the bed and thinking deeply on what the hell his past few weeks have been.

 _Betrayed by my companions... Saved by a lunatic... Practically force fed some meat I probably don't want to know the true identity of... Hm? What's that?_

Orthalamas walked over to the door, noting a rather heavy book was left lying around. _It's a grimoire... Why is it here? Did Kyous drop it?_

The Paladin lifted the book up, slowly dragging himself back towards his bed while opening the dusty thing up.

Immediately he was met with countless magic theories and ideas, most of which were influenced majorly by connections and relations Necromancy held to other magics such as Biomancy and even Lilitid psonics.

Mind Flayer Psonics do not affect the undead, which are powered purely by Negative Energy. Since Necromancy is most commonly powered by Negative Energy, a common energy in the Multiverse, this leads me to believe that indeed, Necromancy must in fact be forbidden and unknown to the cultures of Mind Flayers...

The natures of undead vary from world to world. In one world, all undead are intelligent, sapient lifeforms that are "born" when a being dies. In sharp contrast, in our homeworld here in Faerun, the Undead are almost never the same (with the exception of Zombies), and it is understood that entities such as Skeletons do not have the same level of intelligence as a Lich... Therefore, it is logical to conclude that Negative Energy works differently in different worlds. However, the methods and approach to Necromancy taken in foreign worlds must also be taken into consideration...

I'm almost 3/4ths done with the Flesh Colossus. It's currently kept in my Genesis pocket-world, along with other projects of mine. Who'd've thought that a titanic being made from countless dead corpses would take several decades to craft? And I still have yet to properly forge a good "Master" Soul for it too...

The Atropal I brought in the other day is growing well. The adventurers that keep trying to kill me always wind up becoming its food. It's already grown into a rank 5 Demigod. Impressive, considering the Atropal Acererak was nurturing took a Death Curse epidemic to get anywhere. Maybe this Atropal was born from a stronger god or primordial? It is entirely possible that unfinished immortals might have differing potentials, and Acererak was simply unlucky... Or perhaps his Atropal was simply not as willing to accept a Demilich trained by Vecna, while mine thinks I'm just a useful and ignorant pawn? Only time will tell.

Most of this went far, far over Orthalamas' head. He understood that Kyous was apparently extremely skilled and powerful though...

The Paladin shrugged. This was all just blasphemy. Blasphemy and vile garbage... He'll take down Kyous. He swore it!

... Despite all that, it was still pretty boring, so he kept on reading through the Grimoire, letting his imagination think of all the sick twisted things Kyous surely had to have done, and how he'll smite and deliver Kyous his just punishment...

Time passed on, and soon his disgust grew into a curiosity. Even going as far as to ask Kyous what some of these undead were. For smiting and combat knowledge purposes, of course.

He didn't notice the local Negative Energy having an effect on his mind, either.

Days turned to Weeks. Weeks turned to Months. Gradually, Orthalamas almost began to question the immorality so many people had towards Necromancy. Why was it so despised? Why was it so... degraded, frowned upon, despised?

He didn't know. But he certainly thought that maybe, just maybe, he was being a bit unfair to these Necromancers. Maybe the dark arts only had a bad reputation because so many evil people practiced it. And Kyous certainly didn't appear to be _that_ evil. Only defensive towards people who try to invade and kill him.

As he continued to think, his body eventually recovered, until he was able to fully walk, stretch, and wield a sword with no effort.

But, he didn't immediately want to attack Kyous. Not until he got to see the Crypt with his own eyes... which should be safe. He had already seen most of the Crypt for himself... And Kyous even showed him the exit if he wanted to leave earlier on.

Orthalamas quietly wandered the Crypt, looking at the various undead beings...

Some were just mindlessly roaming around, or sitting down, or looking at him blankly.

Others, like a few lesser Liches and Skeletal Mages, told him to fuck off while they were studying before they ignored Kyous' ruling and made everyone in the crypt attack him.

And then finally, there was just a hapless vampire-child, idly wandering around as other vampires and beasts of the night and death lurked around, and ignored her, sometimes even guiding her to other locations...

 _Is... Is it really right to be so blindly hateful towards all undead? Those liches and skeletons... They just want to be left alone. That child... She just wants to play with someone... Is Necromancy truly that awful, if it can create beings like this? If it can maintain the mind and body for someone who wants to live on, to give them a chance to finish or achieve a regret or goal they couldn't do in life?..._

Orthalamas didn't know what to make of this, and left to his room, making sure not to get hacked to pieces by swinging axe blades and definitely not touching the Spheres of Annihilation as he made his way back to his room.

 _ **...**_

In time, Kyous returned to Orthalamas' room, carrying the usual plate of bread and "soup."

However, this time around, Orthalamas had something beyond the usual question or blind accusations.

"Can you teach me Magic?" Orthalamas bluntly asked.

"Heh. Yeah, of course, totall..." Kyous trailed off, before rubbing into his ears a few times and staring at Orthalamas. "Uh. Come again?"

"I said, can you teach me Magic? Especially Necromancy."

"... What, where, when, and why?"

"I want to learn magic. Here, from you. Right now. Why? I want to see beyond what I was taught by my fellow paladins and see for myself if Necromancy truly is as evil as they say it is. To me, it just looks like the natural opposite to healing and other Life Magic, like Biomancy. Why then, should I judge it so much, if it's the natural counter to it? Why should I kill a thinking child who was simply created from death rather than life? Is there something wrong with not being brought into this world the same way as the rest of us? I do not know, but I want to know, for my own sanity and morality as a Hero..."

Kyous stroked his beard, thinking deeply. "... Very well then. I shall allow you to become my apprentice on one condition: You must renounce your oath as a Paladin. Do so, and I shall gladly immerse you in my knowledge."

Orthalamas paused, unsure of whether he should do such a thing or not...

But, in the end, he wanted to follow what he thought was right. And if being a Paladin meant he had to kill beings just because they were "unnatural," then he refused to be one anymore.

"... I break my vow. I no longer wish to be a Paladin," Orthalamas simply said, distinctly feeling former connections and powers he once held fade away into nothingness.

"There, was that so hard? Now come along!" Kyous said, grabbing the former Paladin by the arm and pulling him towards where Kyous wanted to go...

 _Wait, he just accepted that easily?_ Orthalamas thought, confused as Kyous dragged him along... _Well, I suppose this is my "start of darkness..." as some Paladins would put it. Well, I think this is hardly so. I think I'll do even better and help more people if I learn magic and more about the world!_

 ** _..._**

From there, Kyous put Orthalamas through a living hell, training him, making him always vigilant against any possible threats, as well as helping him with his intuition and foresight about who people were like.

He taught him all about the wonders of magic, as well as technology, sword fighting, and above all else: Genre-savviness and Common Sense.

Months in the Crypt turned to Years, and almost, in a sense, Orthalamas and Kyous had grown to trust and rely on each other like brothers, studying and researching the secrets and limits of magic, pushing their knowledge ever further... And, in time, Orthalamas had grown to learn the secrets of Lichdom, Worm that Walks...dom? Vampirism, Lycanthropy, and many others...

It almost seemed perfect. Orthalamas had even gotten to know that Vampire Child a bit better, as well as finally see the Flesh Colossus and learn what the hell an Atropal was, as well as meet some of Kyous' other associates, such as a enigmatic Black Slaad that called itself "Karnax."

But, all good things must pass, and inevitably, a group of adventurers wandered in...

 _ **...**_

Orthalamas never really did know what anger felt like. Annoyance? Yes. Grief? Of course. Agony? Too many times to count.

But he had to admit, fury was something completely foreign to him.

Knowing that he couldn't do anything to prevent or stop the dead corpses of his former comrades and Kyous didn't help.

"Svessk!... Dhall! Laele! Why!?" Orthalamas shouted, tears streaming down his eyes.

"Why?" The Beholder said, turning one of its eyestalks towards him, "Because the Old Man stood in our way, and he wasn't protected by any law so... Why not?"

"Indeed. Such a worthless hag..." Laele mused, kicking Kyous' corpse.

"We did him a favor by ending his miserable life... And now we'll end yours!" Svessk announced, gesturing for the other two to help him put down their former ally.

"You!... You!..."

What happened next, Vaskul had long since forgotten, and everytime he "remembered" it, it never did look or play out the same way.

 _ **...**_

Orthalamas looked at his body in horror. To have relied on becoming a Lich just to survive and deny death from taking him... It would've made him sick, had his stomach still lived.

 _"I guess there's no helping it now, huh? No going back... I'm a full blown Necromancer now. I guess I'll continue where Kyous left off... He would've wanted his research completed,"_ Orthalamas mused, continuing on with his new stage in "life."

In time, he had eventually participated in a grand war. A war to end the tyranny and evils of the Abyss and Hell. A war against Demogorgon and Asmodeus.

To have seen such depravity and evil almost shattered his entire ideas and viewpoints on the blessings of sentience and intelligence.

But, he remained resolute, and helped end the God of Sin and the Demon Prince, and watched on with satisfaction as the two sides of Hell and the Abyss clashed and fought each other, remaining trapped to their parts of Faerun.

Eons passed, and eventually, Orthalamas gained a new idea. He'd become a God! If he became almighty, then he could create a new world, a perfect world! One free from evil and suffering, one free from the pains of despair and selfish monsters...

But how to do that?... He didn't know. Not yet, anyways.

He soon uncovered a rather nice suit of armor and a few weapons within his Crypt. It seemed to be the same one he once used when he was a Paladin, except reforged and rebuilt to be even better than some of the Epic-Leveled Warriors he had met.

 _"This could do nicely for a Helmed Horror to guard my crypt..."_ Orthalamas mused, _"But who to use as the controlling soul?"_

He soon found his mark. The souls of his former allies... Laele, Svessk, and Dhall...

He had long since mastered Necromancy and many variations of it, along with different types of magic, and used it to his advantage, freely mixing and fusing the three's souls together into a new state of existence. A newborn, "vanilla" soul in a sense.

With this new soul he so creatively dubbed "Helmer," he animated his Helmed Horror, and had it guarding and (fail at) cleaning the Crypt.

In time, he had swore that he saw images of his Old Master wandering around, and wondered if he truly was dead yet...

Well, he didn't know... But it was better to not dwell on the past.

In time, he found a new world named Zenithia, along with its "Hell," Nadiria.

There, he found his answer and pathway to Godhood.

A Great Demon Emperor, Estark, dwelled in the depths of the Earth in Zenithia, awaiting the day it could return. But what really mattered was what others tried. Demons named Psaro the Manslayer and Aamon had attempted to uncover Estark, and found... _something_ , with him. The "Secret of Evolution," as they called it. An alchemical recipe so potent that it made the users surpass even the greatest of Gods... And with something called the Armlet of Transmutation, the Secret could even be made better!

As such, Orthalamas began to explore and learn in that world, taking on the name "Vaskul" during his travels and encounters with the various Archfiends and Demon Lords in that world...

And, finally, he had found where Estark was rumored to rest in, only to find that apparently the Lord of the Underworld had been moved. As such, Orthalamas kept looking for him, across many timelines and universes, slowly forgetting who he was...

Until finally, he only remembered himself not as Orthalamas— That man was dead for all he knew. He remembered and always introduced himself as "Vaskul."

* * *

 _*Remina; Hellgondo*_

 _..._

"Chrome" paced around the ruins, looking around for angelic feathers. Vaskul knew Chrome's body would be able to handle and withstand Holy Energy for a while, and he also knew that Ilias wasn't that careful about things... Surely, he'd be able to find some form of Holy Energy here... Oh, sure, the strange beasts tried to attack and kill him, but he disposed of them just fine.

 _Where are they... Where are they..._ Vaskul mused to himself, searching for any feathers...

 _You know they've likely faded away, right? It's been years since Remina's destruction,_ Chrome idly commented in his mind.

 _They might have, but there still has to be some sort of remnant! It's the only hope I have of reclaiming my body..._ Vaskul responded, lifting and tossing around rubble and fallen walls for at least a single feather or trace of holy energy.

 _What's the point of this anyways? What can you even use this for?_ Chrome questioned, a faint ghostly image of her floating nearby as Vaskul kept digging.

 _I could use holy energy to weaken Zoma... Then I can use some exorcism magic I remember to banish him from my body after I fight and weaken him some more,_ Vaskul answered, annoyed with Chrome's constant questions.

 _Eugh, is that it? Sheesh... Possessing me and doing all of this... Couldn't you have trusted me to do this much?_

 _No. Not at all._

 _Jackass._

Vaskul ignored Chrome's insult and simply shoved her into the back of his mind against her will, and instead focused on thoroughly sifting through all of Remina, unaware that a certain man was nearby as well...

 _"Oh? I am seeing a rather tiny and diminutive imp near me... But to have two souls instead of one, and the highest of which resembling my student..."_

"Huh?" "Chrome" turned around, looking at the man, "A Worm that Walks... Here? What business do you have with me?"

 _"Ahohoho, how harsh! I have done nothing to you yet. Little ol' me merely inquires as to who the soul within your body truly belongs to... I am suspecting it to be belonging to my old friend..."_

"Old Friend... Vaskul, right?" "Chrome" said.

 _"Exacto. Vaskul, old student of mine, why are you in such a disappointing state?"_

"Chrome..." _Vaskul,_ spoke, with some tone of self-hatred, "I was careless. I had thought I was doing Mortamor and Nimzo a favor, but it turned out to be a trap set out by Zoma to trick me out of my own body. I'd be much more welcoming and desiring to talk to you in normal situations, but this isn't exactly the time or the form to catch up with you in."

 _"Heh... Welly now, isn't dat jus' one gosh darn sonuvabitch, eh? Such a pity..."_ Kyous remarked, taking on a patronizing and mocking tone to his voice.

"Oh, shut up you," Vaskul snapped, "I'm getting to reclaiming my body. I just need to find some trace of holy energy..."

 _"Oh, that?"_ Kyous mused, _"I've got plenty of Angel Feathers here, if you need them."_

"What... How do you have so many!?" Vaskul said in shock, "You were never the type of man to keep Angel Feathers... You always fed them to your Atropal after all."

 _"Ah yes, good ol' Arpy, a wonderful little fellow for being, you know, the spiteful, malformed, incomplete dead god fetus. He's currently slumbering right now, so I don't need to take care of him as much as I used to. Same with the Flesh Colossi. They're all in stasis in my own little pocket world. As for how I got all these feathers? Ah, ol' Kyuous got 'is ways... Besides, I had to prove to little Tammy that Remina was attacked by Light Elementals somehow. She'd think this poor old man mad if I just randomly made such a major accusation!"_

Kyous' rantings went right through Vaskul's ear and out the other as the disgraced Necromancer went up and took a large handful of Angel Feathers, noting their fluffy and inability to get tainted by filth or mud.

 _How distasteful..._ Vaskul mused, _But if it helps harm Zoma, then it will do!..._

Focusing the remaining energy left in the feathers, Vaskul warped and congealed the feathers together, forming a small sphere of gleaming light...

 _"Ah... What a pretty little gem!"_ Kyous remarked, _"Almost as pretty as my insects!"_

"Shut up old man," Vaskul simply said, pocketing the orb into his bag, "It'll probably crack and lose all of its power when I first use it against Zoma anyways. Best not to form too much attachment to it. Even then, you have a bunch of feathers... Use them if you really want to."

 _"Ooooh... A wonderful idea... I think I'll keep that in mind for after I flex on Tammy with these fluffy feathers!"_ Kyous chittered, gleeful at the idea.

"Yes... I presume you somehow got a job in the Monster Lord's Castle?" Vaskul questioned.

 _"Indeed this Worm has, old friend! The little vixen was **so**_ _curious as to how your magic worked, that she practically jumped on the chance to learn a tad bit about Faerunic magic from me!"_ Kyous answered, _"But alas... You fell out of those arts, didn't you Vaskul? You've gone so deep into Nadiria and Zenithia's magic and mythology that you practice their form of magic more often than not..."_

Vaskul looked almost uncomfortable at that truth, "... It is no lie. I've fallen out the old classic magic system you once taught me. Mostly out of convenience though. A quick **Kafrizzle** is much easier to spit out than a long-winded _Meteor Shower._ My apologies, old friend, but I needed quicker, faster magic spells to keep up against the likes of Orgodemir and Rhapthorne, and now especially against Zoma."

 _"Mmph. I suppose you are right..."_ Kyous admitted, _"Times change... And this old man hasn't gotten an update yet. How you supposed you'll banish Zoma from your body anyways? I suspect a simple spell won't work..."_

"Oh, I know Orcus owes me a few favors... And don't be too hard on yourself Kyous. You're probably much better at Faerunic Magic than I am at this point if I'm not using a Grimoire," Vaskul assured, causing the masked man to brighten a bit. "But... We can catch up later on at length. For now, I have a body to reclaim..."

 _"But of course,"_ Kyous said, _"Best of luck to you!"_

"Farewell!" Vaskul turned, and _Teleported_ away...

* * *

 _ **...**_

 **"Eh?... Why does it feel like someone is heading into Zoma's lair?"** Baramos Sigmus remarked as he and Black Alice worked on an incomplete altar...

"Perhaps someone is going in to crash his tea party?" Black Alice suggested, curious as to why someone would do such a thing.

 **"They must be either really brave and strong or just stupid... Whatever, we can keep working here...** **"** Baramos said, carrying on with his and Black Alice's idea to summon Nokturnus to deal with Zoma...

* * *

 _ **...**_

"Chrome" delved deep into the caverns, not letting the pressure or sheer cold discourage or unnerve them.

 _So, Vaskul, I assume that was the Master Necromancer you mention to have learned from? Seems like a nice guy to me, even if he does have a few screws loose and terrible sense of grammar,_ Chrome remarked.

 _He was... He's always been polite and cordial. However, he was much more eager to just summon a Balor or Archdevil on me back in those days. In turn, I began to summon the Crypt's liches and vampires on him. You could say his pranks have left a rather bad taste in my mouth..._

 _I see... Seems like you have a bad habit of deluding yourself. First you lie about wanting to obliterate my conscious and throw away my useless corpse after you reclaimed your own, then you think of yourself as always hating others despite your paladin days and even **right fucking now** implying otherwise, and now I discover your master wasn't as much of a dick as you say he is. Your supposed "memories" and what actually happened are so different in the slightest of ways... I guess being as old and famous in the supposed "hotspots" of the multiverse as you makes you want to forget how much of a weakling or disappointment you were at first, huh?_

 _... Oh, shut up imp. Or else I won't revive your sister._

 _Oh, so you **do** care about me!_

 _Luminous One damn it... Shut up already before I make this body into a Lich..._

 _Joke's on you, I want to become a Lich!_

 _It's not as fun as you think it is,_ Vaskul merely commented.

 _For you maybe. I know aaaaaaaall about "Eromancy" as you put it. I'll have a smoking hot body with actual breasts and hips, and of course, an extremely tight and addicting—..._

 _For all that you brag about having an undead body that you'll modify to be unbelievably attractive and glamorous, I do not detect any hints of you wanting to be any taller,_ Vaskul snarked as he quickly interrupted Chrome's fantasy.

 _... Hey! Shut up! I am not short!_

 _The fact that you need a footstool or Frederika to reach the third shelf in the top cabinets say otherwise. And right now, in your body, I feel like I'm perpetually forced to stare at a person's crotch or having to look to the skies to make eye-contact with them. Face it my student, you are short._

 _Screw you! I'm tall! I know I am!_

 _To Luka maybe. To some other succubus like Alma, you are a stuffed animal waiting to be hugged. A really annoying, dirty, and necrotic stuffed animal, but still a stuffed animal. Speaking of which, have I ever mentioned how fucking tight it is to be in this body of yours? Your skin clings onto your muscles like a damn tick, and your chest is even tighter than some of the men I've had to possess._

 _Gah... After all of this, I am going to become a Lich as soon as possible, then I'll track down and revive Shirome, then I'm kicking your newly revived ass!_

 _I do not recall a single point in time when you've successfully outdone me without me purposefully throwing the contest or just being too lazy to show you who's the master and who's the apprentice... Also, why don't you ever clean your hair or clothing? It's heavy as all hell, and the way your hair sticks together is insufferable... The fact that you actually wear panties and a bra is even more annoying—..._

 _Fine, fine! Sheesh, what are you? Frederika!? Don't you start whining about my eating and cleaning habits now!_

 _Believe me, if I hadn't complained at all, we wouldn't have a Haunted Mansion to live in. I'm only complaining about your body and habits now because I have the misfortune to be stuck possessing your body. Good god, you smell awful too! Even by undead standards! At least the maggots and decay help cover up the smell by eating up all the rotting flesh and organs, you're alive and just reek of all the filth being around the undead gives you! Make sure to remind me to teach you some illusion magic soon!_

 _Ugh... Just make me into a Lich first. Then we'll both be much happier and can finally go deep into the darkest depths of Necromancy, where by then I won't have to worry about Negative Energy backfiring on me..._

 _At this point, you're probably magically adept enough to become a decent lich... So sure. We'll find you a phylactery and go on from there when we have the time... For now..._

 _Yeah. Master Archfiend, and all that. I'll just shut up and let you take him on yourself..._ Chrome quietly faded back into the depths of Vaskul's consciousness, letting him focus on the task at hand.

 _ **...**_

In time, he soon finally confronted Zoma.

 _ **Vaskul. I did not expect you to come here yourself,**_ Zoma boomed over at the Necromancer telepathically.

"I didn't expect you to body-jack me either... But it still happened. Now I'm looking to reclaim what's mine..." Vaskul said, crossing their arms.

 _ **Foolish Necromancer! What drives you so far to struggle so for the sake of existence? Destruction to all is my greatest joy! There is no greater beauty than the dying and destroyed... Come! You shall breathe your last within my arms!**_

Within only a few seconds, Zoma was already upon Vaskul, slamming them into the floor with a fierce palm strike.

Vaskul groaned in pain, not quite used to organic pain felt through living nerves, but forced himself up anyways, casting a _Magic Missile _at Zoma, only for it to be immediately reflected back, forcing the necromancer to jump out of the way and avoid the small explosion it created.

Zoma left behind a trail of afterimages as it ran at Vaskul, making it impossible for the wizard to get a grazing scratch on it before Zoma quickly breathed out a large blizzard, attempting to freeze the Necromancer into an ice cube!

Thinking quickly and casting **I** **nsulate** , Vaskul managed to protect himself from the full force of the sudden breath, only to notice it was broken midway by an **Icy Pulse** , courtesy of Zoma.

Being tossed away into a cave wall by the last blizzard, Vaskul sighed and breathed heavily, not quite used to Chrome's limited stamina.

 _ **A fool, to the end. Send Estark my regards...**_ Zoma began laughing, rearing his head back as he cackled deeply.

The mocking laughter echoed around the caverns, ringing in Vaskul's ears...

 _Damn it... I need to unveil my trump card now!..._ Vaskul thought as he reached into the bag, bringing out the orb, the sphere of light shining and glowing brilliantly against the darkness...

Zoma screamed, quickly rushing upon Vaskul and slapping the orb out of his reach, _**I shall not have a repeat of Erdrick!... Impressive that you did know how to remove my barrier however... Nevertheless, it was futile. Suffer now, within my arms...**_

Zoma crouched down, and lifted Vaskul up, slowly choking him...

 _No!_ Chrome's voice rang out as her spirit suddenly rushed out, ramming itself into Zoma's body. Zoma roared out, stumbling back as Chrome blinded him with two sharp pokes to his eyes. _Now Vaskul! Get the orb!_ the tiny imp shouted, trying to occupy and distract Zoma.

Vaskul nodded, quickly crawling off to snatch up the Orb, and raised it high into the air, a bright light flooding the gloom... The Master Archfiend's body and colors warped and twisted, slowly cracking and warping as it distorted and casted out afterimages of itself all over the place, static hissing and screeching as the Fiend finally revealed its true, vibrant red colors...

 _ **Muhahaha... So it actually does work after all...** _Zoma mused, almost complimenting the necromancer with how he managed to pull off removing the barrier, _**But as I said, it is futile. Now struggle and suffer in my grasp...**_

The Master Archfiend was far slower and less potent now, though it was still dangerous even then, going in for another palm strike. This time however, Vaskul managed to see it coming, and avoided it, countering with a **Kafrizzle** aimed right at the Archfiend's head.

The Demon hissed in pain as the fires charred and burnt its head and helm, but refused to admit defeat, throwing its hands back and casting **Kacrackle** on Vaskul!

Vaskul beared through the agonizing cold and skin-shredding shards of ice, jumping in to use Chrome's Hacksaw to rip and shred into Zoma's body, mutilating the Demon King's torso, and going even further as to cast **HealAll** to hurt the Archfiend even more, with Vaskul knowing that healing magic and herbs were poisonous and antithetical to the Master Archfiend's existence.

Chrome helped as well, swooping in and using her ghostly state to her advantage to spiritually harm and cripple the Demon King, making it much easier for Vaskul to exorcise him when the time came.

Zoma hissed and groaned, unwilling to give in despite knowing fully well that he was in fact losing this fight. Clasping the bottom of his hands together, and stretching his fingers outwards, he began shouting a chant, trying to use the souls of his past victims to take the entire cave system down to crush and kill everyone.

However, Chrome charged into the heart of the Master Archfiend, and went fully through. While it didn't physically tear a hole through the Archfiend, it did rupture and leave a gaping hole in the might and influence of the Demon King's spirit, allowing Vaskul to finally begin his exorcism...

 _ **"Great Orcus! Demon Prince of infinite strength! Grant me this unholy blessing to make this contract heard: "Begone Master Archfiend, by authority with greater might than your own, I break your perch on this stolen body and cast you out! I depose you out from all our endings to the last!"**_ Vaskul chanted, the demonic attempts at contracting Orcus' strength appearing to be heard.

 _I don't like you Vaskul, but fuck this guy. Besides, you did help me become Demon Prince by killing Demogorgon. I shall repay what I owe you..._ That was all the Demon Prince spoke over the link, before Zoma's body creaked and cracked, the Master Archfiend screaming and thrashing in pain as a dark mist was forcibly forced out of his body...

More than a little giddily at his assured victory, Vaskul added an unnecessary part to the chant, and shouted with all of his passion and hatred to the Demon King: _**"YOU ARE BANISHED!"**_

The Dark Mist fled into the cracks and crevices of the cave systems, leaving behind the body of Vaskul...

* * *

 _ **...**_

Baramos Sigmus and Black Alice blinked. Zoma... Was gone? The entire world seemed to brighten up, and the sun shined ever brighter...

 **"That fighter... triumphed?..."** Sigmus said incredulously.

"It seems he did crash Zoma's party..." Black Alice said, impressed, "It seems that now, in hindsight, this whole Nokturnus thing was unnecessary... Ah well~!"

 **"Heh... What joy..."** Sigmus mused, noting a dark fog escaping from the mouth of the cave... Using a simple soul trap spell, Sigmus brought the soul closer, finding that it was... **"Zoma!?"**

 _ **Yes...?**_ the Fog took on the distinct form of Zoma that was completely black in form save for some strange glowing eyes and mouth.

 **"Hmph... Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now..."** Sigmus threatened.

 _ **Well... Uh... I mean...**_

"Tick tock~! Time's running out~!" Black Alice teased, "We might have to say 'goodbye' to you at this rate, and we've only just met!"

 _ **Er... I can train you, make you a true Archfiend through and through, introduce you to the rest of the Great Demon Kings... How about that?**_

Lord Baramos Sigmus paused. **"That's a good reason."**

 _ **Ah shi—, wait, really?**_

 **"Yes. As long as you don't try any funny business, then I'm fine with that. I've always wanted to meet Orgodemir and the others... And I admit, the idea of having my own Cloak of Darkness for when I rise and take the Secret of Evolution sounds appealing too..."**

"Well, you heard the bipedal hippo~!" Black Alice happily said, "You're now his little mentor! Now come on! The Monster Queens and Demon Generals are probably scheming as we speak..."

 _ **Whoopee...** _Zoma said flatly as Sigmus and Black Alice began to drag his spirit away with them...

 **"... Wait, didn't I tell you a while ago to never call me that?"** Sigmus said.

"What? Bipedal Hippo?" Black Alice said, "So what? Vaskul called you that when you first met me and the others."

 **"Just because the badass Necromancer calls me that doesn't mean a loser like you can."**

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it? Oh, I'm soooo scared! Right Beary?" Black Alice said, puppeting Beary to look "scared" as well.

 **"I swear I'm going to choke you..."**

"Do it! I know you, you aren't going to do anything to a dainty young lady like me!" Black Alice teased, running off ahead.

 **"Grrr... Get back here you!"** Baramos Sigmus shouted, running after Black Alice as Zoma's Spirit only sighed.

 _ **I should've just taken the loss and passed on to Nadiria...**_

* * *

 _ **...**_

Chrome flexed her fingers. It hurt, but it was natural considering Vaskul's level of magic wasn't meant for living, weak beings like her.

"Ah... So nice to have my own body back!" Chrome said, relishing her revival, "And of course... It must be nice for you to have your _own_ body back as well, Master Vaskul..."

 _"Indeed,"_ a familiar raspy voice said, _"And my body's been infused with the direct strength and power of Zoma as well, meaning I'm far, **far** stronger than ever..."_

Chrome giggled, "All hail your revival... Master Vaskul, has _returned!"_

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well, it's finally back. The Shadow of Undeath... It's been revived, with our favorite protag back stronger than ever!

Anyways, I do have two (technically three, but two are by the same guy) recent(ish) reviews I'll answer...

Notsae: Ah, good to hear you loved the story! I did feel that it was kind of... "meh" when I introduced Zoma, and it was starting to just get out of hand with the others, so I reworked it to remove Mortamor and Nimzo, leaving them only in as voices Zoma used to deceive Vaskul. (I even went as far as to actually edit most of the story for that matter so the grammar and spelling wasn't shit.) Who knows? Perhaps Vaskul will achieve his dream peacefully, or maybe not. Only time shall tell...

wlobot: Heh. Vaskul never was the type of guy to be chill about how he disposed of people, he just went for the easy option rather than actually be "noble" about it. Unless he actually has to be nice to a stranger for whatever reason. Glad to see the teleportation joke was funny, as well as knowing that Ilias' buildup was good!

On a side note, I am opening up a Discord, where I hope to get other authors, writers, and maybe even some sidestory creators to join on in along with fans. Just go on and PM me or DM "The Inexplicable Presence #9522" on Discord for an invite. Or maybe the invite will be on my profile, if it ever gets updated.

Well, without further ado, I bid you all a good day! Don't forget to review and/or PM me to tell me what you all think!

2/18/19 EDIT: Managed to figure out a way to piece together an invite that got past Fanfic's censorship. Just put them in order with the top being the start/left-most. (slash) = /

https:

(two slashes)

discord

.

gg

(one slash)

7VzC9ZN


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